‘Historic cocaine seizure’: Montenegro foils attempt to smuggle over 1 ton of cocaine in shipment of bananas

Montenegro’s national police force announced the seizure of more than a ton of cocaine on Friday in the country’s biggest ever drug bust, detaining two people who tried to smuggle it across the border in a shipment of bananas. 

The police raided the shipment in Mojanovici, a suburb within the country’s capital Podgorica, seizing 1,205 packs of cocaine, containing more than one ton of the illegal drug within a crate of bananas, according to a statement from Montenegrin authorities.

Two people are in custody for the attempted smuggling operation that was thwarted in a joint operation by Montenegro’s Police Directorate and the Revenue and Customs Administration. Authorities did not immediately state where they believe the shipment came from or if more individuals are being sought over the criminal act.

Praising the country’s police force for its drug bust, Deputy Prime Minister Dritan Abazovic declared that his government will ensure that “Montenegro will not be a country of crime.” The “historic cocaine seizure” marks the largest drug seizure in Montenegro’s history.

Montenegro, a candidate for European Union membership, has been tasked with tackling organized crime within the country before it can be admitted to the bloc. In recent months, the country’s government has ramped up its efforts to stamp out illegality, arresting dozens of individuals for crimes ranging from drug smuggling to attempted assassination of state officials.

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