By Samantha Berlin. msn.com
Officials in Colombia seized nearly 20,000 coconuts filled with liquid cocaine out of more than 500 bags intended to go to Italy.
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The shipment was discovered by officials on Thursday at a port in Bolívar, Colombia in a container bound for Genoa, Italy. Anti-narcotics personnel found 19,780 coconuts inside 504 canvas bags, a press release issued Thursday stated.
“Upon inspection, it was established that the water in the tropical fruit had been exchanged for liquid cocaine,” the Office of the Attorney General of Colombia said in a statement. “In this sense, the coconuts were transferred to a specialized laboratory to establish the exact amount of drug.”
Liquid cocaine is powder cocaine that has been dissolved in various solvents that allow it to become liquid and later converted back into a powder, Vice reported. Liquid cocaine is more difficult to detect than powder cocaine and is commonly ingested.
The investigation was carried out in collaboration with the Attorney General’s Office’s Specialized Directorate against Drug Trafficking and the National Police‘s Anti-Narcotics Directorate.
Officials are investigating the party responsible for loading the nearly 20,000 coconuts. Investigators said they have contacted the Italian authorities and are working to establish who was set to receive the shipment.
The amount of cocaine inside the coconuts has not been released but the coconuts have been sent off to a lab for further analysis.
