Malta customs bust hauls over 300 kilos of cocaine in canned pineapple consignment

Over 300kg of cocaine have been seized at the Malta Freeport by customs officials during an inspection of a container supposedly containing cans of pineapple.

The street value of the consignment is estimated to run into the tens of millions of euros, and will be confirmed following purity analysis and accurate weighing.

The bust is the largest ever narcotics haul in Malta.

An X-ray scan of the cocaine (Photo: Customs Department)

The Customs Department said that upon inspection by its officials, six large sacks containing several bags carrying the white substance were discovered. A narcotics fields test conducted by Customs officials gave a positive indication for cocaine. Test carried out in laboratories later confirmed the substance was cocaine.

The container, which was on its way from Ecuador to Spain, was flagged as a potential high-risk container following risk analysis performed by the Customs Department. 

Customs said that upon discovery of the drugs, it requested the assistance of the Police Department and informed the duty magistrate of the case.

Both Customs Department and the Police Department are continuing their investigations, and the contents of the cans are now also being inspected.