SPAIN - Criminals have once again been caught using fresh produce as a cover for their illegal enterprises. This comes as European authorities have uncovered a large amount of narcotics hidden in a shipment of bananas.

Multiple European police forces intercepted over 6.5 tonnes (~14.3K pounds) of cocaine in a haul of bananas traveling from Columbia to Spain. The drugs have an estimated value of €223 million (approximately $243 million), according to reporting from euronews.

Europol supported the Spanish, Columbian, and Latvian police’s investigation into a criminal network involved in shipping cocaine from South America to Europe.

Once the packages concealed within the legal shipment of bananas arrived in the Spanish port of Algeciras, they were taken to a warehouse, where the pallets laden with cocaine were replaced with identical ones containing the fruit.

Upon discovering this attempt to smuggle drugs, authorities arrested seven suspects in connection with the crime.

Thanks to the police, the reputation of fresh produce remains safe from the unsavory actions of criminals around the globe.