On April 26 this year, customs personnel checked containers from Ecuador in the port of Helsingborg and in two of them maple compartments were found in the floor. There were several smaller packages which turned out to contain 460 kilos of cocaine.
– There was a seizure in Stockholm last year of 500 kilos, but this is by far one of the largest total seizures that the Swedish Customs Service has ever made, says Erik Friberg, head of unit at the Swedish Customs Service’s criminal department.
Was hidden in maple compartment
Maple compartments were designed so that the cocaine could be taken out without opening the container.
– We have seen it abroad before, but as far as I know, the maple branch procedure is new for the Swedish Customs Service, says Erik Friberg.
The degree of purity of the cocaine was very high and the value exceeds one billion kroner in the addict ranks.
– It had a degree of purity of close to 90 percent, so there are enormous amounts on the street.
No suspects
According to the Swedish Customs Administration, this reinforces the image that Helsingborg’s port has become a gateway for cocaine to Sweden and the rest of Europe.
– Our assessment is that Sweden has become a transit country for drug smuggling. Large consignments of drugs are shipped here to then be distributed further to other countries in Europe. This is a clear example of how organized crime operates, says Erik Friberg, head of unit at the Swedish Customs Service’s criminal department.
A preliminary investigation into particularly serious drug smuggling has been launched, but no suspects have been arrested.
