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German police make 'massive' cocaine bust

January 11, 2022

Workers at a food production plant accidentally uncovered the illegal drug while opening up a shipment of sugar. Authorities in Saxony said it was the largest cocaine bust in the state's history.

https://p.dw.com/p/45OrB
In this police handout, hundreds of bricks of cocaine are stacked on top of one another after being found in a shipment of sugar in the eastern state of Germany
In this police handout, hundreds of bricks of cocaine are stacked on top of one another after being found in a shipment of sugar in the eastern state of GermanyImage: LKA Sachsen

Drug traffickers attempted to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of cocaine in a sugar shipment, authorities in the eastern German state of Saxony announced on Tuesday.

A drug bust of that size is expected to have a "significant impact on the entire narcotics market," said Sonya Penzel, the head of Saxony's state criminal police office.

What did police say?

Authorities recovered 700 kilograms (1,540 pounds) of cocaine in total, describing the bust as "massive."

The cocaine has an estimated street value of over €150 million ($170 million).

"This is the largest cocaine seizure in the state of Saxony to date," police said in a statement.

Trafficking cocaine

Who made the discovery?

The drugs were uncovered by an unusual source — workers at a food production company located in a rural area between the cities of Dresden and Chemnitz.

The workers were unpacking a recent shipment of sugar when they came across the suspiciously wrapped cocaine bricks. 

They then quickly alerted the police, who were then joined by customs officers in Dresden.

Police are now working to uncover who was behind the shipment — and where it was headed. 

It is unclear whether the cocaine was intended to be distributed in the state of Saxony, or whether it was a stopover.

Authorities made clear, however, that the company that made the initial discovery is not considered a suspect.

Drug busts are more common in Germany's port cities, where container shipments first land. In Hamburg, authorities uncovered 16 tons of cocaine alone the month of February last year.

rs/wmr (dpa, AFP)