Three individuals have been arrested in the Netherlands following a significant cocaine bust that recovered 3,000 kilos of the drug.
The arrest took place in Moerdijk, located in the southwest of the country.
Originally concealed within a telescopic crane, the drugs reportedly travelled via the port of Antwerp just a week prior.
In a statement from the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s office, they estimated the value of the drugs at a staggering 220 million euros.
Heavy equipment importers at centre of probe
The arrests were a result of ongoing investigations by the Zeeland-North Brabant port police into suspicious activities linked to a Moerdijk-based company specialising in importing heavy equipment from South America. The implicated crane was delivered last week.
The ensuing arrests slightly disrupted the quiet local scene as police officers apprehended two Dutch men aged 43 and 64, and a 32 year old man originally from Cambodia. The company director was among those detained.
Additional investigations saw law enforcement conducting raids at two local facilities in the Moerdijk port area and two residential properties. Their search yielded a firearm, ammunition and 20,000 euros in cash possessed by one of the suspects.
Authorities have since destroyed the recovered cocaine.
