Police say a 1.2-tonne shipment of cocaine hidden among bananas and intercepted at the port of Vlissingen in August was routed to a company storage unit at the Amsterdam Food Centre. A 43-year-old Amsterdam resident was arrested days after the seizure, and city officials have now ordered the unit closed for six months on public-order grounds, local media report.
The drugs were discovered on 8 August after customs and police inspected the banana container, after which investigators removed the cocaine, left a small 30-gram test sample to follow the trail, and later found that sample at the Amsterdam site.
Authorities say the closure order aims to reduce immediate safety risks around the wholesale hub, which is being partially redeveloped for housing but remains a key distribution site for food businesses. The case fits a broader pattern: European ports have seen sustained pressure from traffickers using fresh-produce routes from Latin America, with nearby Antwerp setting record cocaine seizures in recent years, and Dutch customs also reporting notable increases.
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What we know so far
Seizure and method: 1.2 tonnes of cocaine concealed in banana boxes from Colombia; container intercepted at Vlissingen on 8 August.
Controlled follow-up: Police removed the drugs, tracked a retained 30-gram test sample to an Amsterdam Food Centre storage unit.
Arrest: A 43-year-old Amsterdam man was detained a week after the find.
City action: The mayor ordered the storage unit shut for six months, citing public safety. (Local reporting.)
Wider context: EU ports remain prime entry points for cocaine; Belgian and Dutch authorities report high volumes and ongoing crackdowns.
The police investigation into the Amsterdam link and any wider network is ongoing. Officials have not named the company involved in the storage unit.
