Italian police seized approximately 1,700 pounds of cocaine with an estimated street value of $286 million hidden in a refrigerated container of bananas from Ecuador. The discovery occurred at the port of Vado Ligure in northwest Italy.
Authorities made the seizure on Tuesday and released video of officers removing the drugs from pallets of bananas. The port has seen increased monitoring after a prior incident earlier this month when officers confiscated 340 kilograms of cocaine valued at 120 million euros.
Investigators noted that Vado Ligure's role as a growing European trade hub makes it a target for trafficking networks. The latest find follows a pattern of cocaine concealed in banana shipments worldwide.
Similar cases include charges against three people in the United Kingdom in March for attempting to traffic nearly $100 million worth of the drug in bananas. Greek police seized nearly 600 pounds in August from an Ecuadorian shipment, while Russia reported 1,800 pounds hidden under bananas in July 2025.
