Cocaine concealed in bananas: 'Ndrangheta members sentenced in Ukraine
Cocaine concealed in bananas: 'Ndrangheta members sentenced in Ukraine (ssu.gov.ua)
Ukraine has convicted members of the international criminal gang 'Ndrangheta who smuggled cocaine from South America into the European Union. They were arrested in August 2021 during a special operation in Ukraine's Odesa city, the Security Service of Ukraine reports.
Case details
According to case materials, the defendants include two citizens of Balkan countries and one Ukrainian. They were responsible for organizing a cocaine trafficking route into the European Union. The criminals attempted to smuggle 80 kilograms of cocaine by hiding it in the structural compartments of refrigerated containers filled with bananas imported from South America.
During inspection of the cargo, law enforcement officers discovered 100 bricks of cocaine. One suspect was detained near the seaport, while the other two were arrested at an industrial market in the Odesa region, where they had come to receive the illicit shipment.
Evidence gathered by the Security Service of Ukraine formed the basis for the court's decision.
The sentence
The three drug couriers were each sentenced to 11 years in prison with asset forfeiture. They were found guilty of smuggling narcotic drugs in particularly large quantities, as well as their acquisition, storage, and transportation for the purpose of distribution.
