BERLIN — It is the largest single drug find in the history of the German capital: Police in Berlin confiscated 386 kilograms of cocaine on Monday with a market value of more than $16 million.
The drugs were found by employees of a big German discounter chain. They were hidden in banana boxes delivered to 13 stores in greater Berlin.
Stefan Redlich, a police spokesman, told NBC News that the cocaine was 80 percent pure. The boxes were labeled Colombia, "but we are just now starting an investigation into where the delivery came from," he said.
The cocaine was packed in black plastic and stored in green bags between the bananas. Police officials believe it was a logistical mistake by drug distributors.
On average, police say, 35 kilos of drugs are seized per year in Berlin.