German supermarket finds €7M of cocaine in crates of bananas

Police did not identify the discount supermarket chain. However, they said the cocaine was found at stores in several cities across the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Employees at a discount supermarket chain in Germany found 95 kilograms (210 pounds) of cocaine stashed inside crates of bananas, police announced on Monday.

The drugs are reported to have a street value of around €7 million ($7.8 million).

Police did not name the supermarket in question, but said the drugs turned up in several cities around the western state of  North-Rhine Westphalia.

How did cocaine end up among bananas?

Bricks of cocaine were first discovered by workers at two of the discount chain's stores in Mönchengladbach on September 10.

Later that day, cocaine was also found at the chain's stores in the nearby cities of Duisburg, Krefeld, Viersen, Heinsberg and Neuss.

"The investigators are working on the assumption that the food discounter was not the correct recipient for the delivery, but received the goods in error," Mönchengladbach police said in a statement.

Police believe the shipment originated in South America and arrived at the Belgian port of Antwerp before being transported to the supermarket's distribution warehouse in Germany.

zc/nm (dpa, AFP)