Dutch police arrest logistics worker over cocaine hidden in banana shipments to Lidl: investigation ongoing
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2 days · 2 summary articles
Dutch police arrest logistics worker over cocaine hidden in banana shipments to Lidl: investigation ongoing
Norway orders Scandic hotels to halt illegal fees at North Cape
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A 39-year-old Dordrecht logistics worker was arrested on Wednesday in Moerdijk on suspicion of importing cocaine hidden in banana shipments to Lidl stores in Limburg and Noord-Brabant, Dutch police said. Investigators found dozens of kilograms of the drug concealed among fruit arriving from Ecuador in May, prompting supermarket staff to remove bananas from shelves in Den Bosch and Sint-Oedenrode after seizures at two locations. The suspect, employed by an external logistics firm, was taken into custody at a cargo processing site; police seized €53,000 in cash, a car and a motorboat from his home. “Criminal organisations often need ‘help from within’ to get cocaine into the Netherlands via the logistics chain,” the Port Police in the Zeeland-West-Brabant District said, adding that they are examining whether the man was coerced or paid to facilitate the smuggling. The logistics company itself is not suspected of involvement .
Meanwhile, Latvia’s State Border Guard reported a sharp rise in illegal border crossings and aggressive tactics by violators this year. Since April, guards have stopped 7,634 people attempting to enter illegally—800 more than in the whole of 2025—and on some days more than 200 attempts are recorded. “We have to use special equipment, weapons and warning shots,” said Border Guard chief Pujāts, noting that violators have rammed patrol vehicles and caused accidents during pursuits. So far in 2026, authorities have detained 87 people smuggling migrants across the border, a figure Pujāts expects to double by year’s end. He attributed the surge to Latvia’s support for Ukraine, the ban on Russian-language broadcasts by public media and upcoming parliamentary elections, warning that construction of border defences remains incomplete and that about 10% of violators evade capture and must be pursued inside Latvian territory .
In a separate case, Latvian police detained four suspects accused of staging and filming sexual acts with animals at a facility in the country. The investigation, opened after a tip in late 2025, uncovered evidence that such acts had occurred since 2021 and were recorded on camera. Authorities seized more than €4,000 in cash, ten horses, a dog and a cat from the site. Two of the suspects are Latvian citizens, one holds dual Danish-Swiss citizenship and one is Russian. None have been remanded in custody but all have been barred from handling animals. The case is being handled by the Organized Crime and Serious Crime Investigation Department under charges including the production of pornographic material depicting sexual acts with animals and organised animal cruelty .
Romanian authorities, with support from German police, Europol and Eurojust, executed 12 search warrants on Tuesday in a transnational fraud investigation. The operation targeted a group of at least 20 people accused of selling non-existent cars and other goods online, causing losses of at least €1.35 million between October 2025 and April 2026. Investigators seized 200 data-storage devices, €60,000, 38,000 Romanian lei, gold bars and coins, forged identity documents, a firearm and other evidence from addresses in Vâlcea and elsewhere .
In Cyprus, police arrested 52 people on Wednesday during operations in Larnaca and Paphos targeting illegal residence and employment. The crackdown, coordinated by the Immigration Service, is part of ongoing efforts to combat unlawful migration and labour .
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