On Wednesday, European authorities confiscated more than 50,000 pounds of cocaine worth billions of euros, considering it the largest the continent has ever seen.
CNN reported that authorities in Germany and Belgium carried out the confiscation in an operation that lasted more than a week and that led to the arrest of a man from the Netherlands.
German customs chief of investigation Rene Matschke told CNN that Hamburg authorities opened three containers containing construction putty, opening a council of Dutch colleagues.
Although, in fact, a construction putty was found inside the containers, packages of cocaine were also found.
According to Matschke, it was “quite disgusting to separate the cocaine from the putty, as it is so sticky.”
CNN reports that 35,658 pounds of cocaine were found inside the construction putty containers.
The confiscation in Hamburg led authorities to another shipment of 11 containers on its way to Antwerp from Panama. Belgian authorities found another 15,873 pounds of cocaine in the shipment from Panama.
These seizures represent not only the largest number of drugs intercepted by European authorities, but possibly one of the largest seizures in the world, according to CNN.
“We have managed to seize a record amount of cocaine. With this blow against organized crime of narcotics (also thanks to exemplary cooperation with European partner authorities), the German Customs has once again demonstrated its influence. continuing to massively strengthen customs is working, ”said Rolf Bösinger, German secretary of state at the Federal Ministry of Finance.