Malta customs seizes 740 kg of cocaine hidden among bananas

VALLETTA, Malta — The customs department in Malta intercepted 1,630 pounds of cocaine Tuesday in a record-breaking drug seizure for the Mediterranean island nation, officials said.

The drugs, with an estimated street value of up to 100 million euro, were hidden in a 40-foot refrigerated container carrying 1,080 boxes of bananas, Customs Malta said in a statement.

The container was en route from Ecuador to Slovenia and was selected for screening while transiting through Malta Freeport, an international transshipment hub on Malta’s southeastern tip, the department said.