Banana Breakfast for Grigori?

[Erik T. Burns]

https://www.foxnews.com/world/portugal-cocaine-hidden-banana-shipment-latin-america

Portugal seizes cocaine worth $33M hidden in banana shipment from Latin
America
------------------------------

Police
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/police-and-law-enforcement> in
Portugal <https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/europe>
uncovered a stash of highly pure cocaine
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/us/crime/drugs> with a street value of
$33 million hidden inside a shipment of bananas from Latin America
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/world/world-regions/latin-america>.

The haul, marking the Mediterranean nation’s second major bust in 12
months, contained 825 kilograms, or nearly 2,000 pounds, of the illicit
substance, detectives said Wednesday. Last year, authorities seized 430
kilograms worth around $17 million.

Detectives said the cocaine was recently found inside banana boxes in
northern Portugal and was heading to other European countries. They did not
give further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

Concealing cocaine in bananas from South America is a common practice among
traffickers. Over the past year, authorities in the United States, China
and Germany have found large quantities of cocaine hidden in such shipments.

A large supply of recently seized cocaine was displayed to the press at the
Portuguese police headquarters in Lisbon on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Armando
Franca)

Portugal is considered a “transit country” for the international
trafficking of cocaine and hashish from Latin America, Morrocco and the
Caribbean to other countries, especially in Europe, according to The
Portugal News
<https://www.theportugalnews.com/news/overdose-deaths-increase-by-almost-30/52412>
.

The country of 10 million citizens has also seen a 30 percent increase in
deaths related to drug overdoses
<https://www.foxnews.com/category/health/mental-health/drug-and-substance-abuse>
in 2019 over the previous year, the paper reported, citing data compiled by
the Intervention Service in Addictive Behaviors and Dependencies and
presented to parliament in November.

The data showed that of the 307 deaths where there was a presence of
illicit substances, 49 were considered overdoses.

*The Associated Press contributed to this report.*