Costa Rican authorities have found a massive load of cocaine weighing 3.5 metric tons (MT) in a container loaded with banana puree.

The discovery by the Drugs Control Police (PCD) was made on Monday at the APM Terminals in Moín, Limón. The container was reportedly bound for the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

The haul reportedly has a value of around US$12 million in Costa Rica, and around double that in Europe.

Michael Soto Rojas, the Minister of Public Security, highlighted the work done by the police, who have prevented six containers of cocaine from leaving Costa Rica.

"In these almost three months we have seized in containers almost six tons of cocaine. In 2019 there were 10 seizures, which totaled five tons, while in 2020 16 tons were seized in 18 containers," he said.

"The numbers show that we have been working hard and we expect to increase total seizures, of marijuana and cocaine, by the end of the year."

On the other hand, in the middle of the judicial process, a scanner operator at APM Terminals was captured, since she is apparently related to the facts. She is a Costa Rican woman with the surname Anchía Pérez, who is 31 years old and has no judicial record.

After Anchía's arrest was made public, the company emphasized that they do not tolerate actions contrary to the law and that is why they are collaborating with the authorities.

"At APM Terminals we work with the highest standards of recruitment and selection of personnel, at the same time we promote a culture of values among which is rectitude, therefore, as a responsible company, we do not tolerate actions contrary to the law.

"We are currently cooperating with the judicial authorities and, as this is a matter under investigation, we cannot comment further on the matter," said the company.