Record amount of crystal meth found "hidden in a sandy substance" at a port in the Netherlands
Dutch authorities seized a record haul of 3.2 tons of methamphetamines worth more than 22 million euros, the public prosecutor's office said Thursday, marking the second time in two months that a record amount of crystal meth has been intercepted in Europe.
Customs officers discovered the haul in early March at the Rotterdam port in a cargo which arrived from Mexico and was destined for a company in the southern village of Den Hout, the office said in a statement.
"The haul was hidden in a sandy substance heavily contaminated with copper and PFAS," a type of long-lasting chemical, said the prosecutor's office, which released an image of the seized drugs.
It took authorities four months to find a way to destroy the methamphetamines, which was why the announcement was delayed.
Weighing more than 3.2 tons and with a street value of $24.3 million, it was "the largest seizure of crystal meth in the Netherlands to date", the office said.
A 55-year-old man from Den Hout was arrested and subsequently released but remains the main suspect in the case.
The major bust was announced two months after Spanish police said they had seized 1.8 tons of crystal meth that Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel was trying to sell in Europe, marking the country's biggest-ever seizure of the narcotic.
The announcement also comes just days after authorities in South Africa said they discovered a
multimillion-dollar crystal meth lab hidden in a remote farm north of Johannesburg.
Methamphetamines are similar to amphetamines but far stronger and more addictive.
Also known as "yaba" or "ice," the drug is sold in the form of crystals, powder, capsules or tablets.
Meanwhile, Dutch authorities also announced this week that 70 million euros worth of cocaine had been intercepted during an inspection in the port of Rotterdam. They said a bulk of the drugs were found hidden in shipments of mangos, avocados and bananas -- a common tactic used by drug traffickers.