Drugs found on a vessel that had arrived from Guatemala were bound for Belgium, authorities say

Summary

The Dominican Republic seized a record 9.5 tonnes of cocaine, worth $250 million, in a banana shipment at Santo Domingo’s Caucedo port.

The drugs, shipped from Guatemala and destined for Belgium, mark the country’s largest drug bust, surpassing a 2006 seizure of 2.6 tonnes.

Authorities detained ten suspects and highlighted increasing trafficking activity through the Caribbean.

Analysts at InSight Crime warn the region is becoming a key smuggling route for cocaine to Europe, where demand has more than doubled since 2011, leveraging the Dominican Republic’s major transport hubs.