In Odesa city, the SBU prevented a large-scale cocaine smuggling from South America. The estimated “black market” price of the seized drugs is about USD 17 million.

Cocaine was delivered to the Yuzhnyi Commercial Seaport in a container with bananas. During the customs inspection, law enforcement officers found 2 bags with 112 kilograms of cocaine bricks.

The SBU initiated criminal proceedings for smuggling of narcotics, psychotropic substances, their analogues or precursors.

The investigation is ongoing in order to identify all people involved in the drug trafficking and to bring them to justice. The possible involvement of employees of regulatory bodies in the cocaine smuggling is being checked. 

The operation was conducted jointly with the State Border Guard Service and the State Customs Service under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor's Office of Odesa region.