Italian authorities seize 435kg of cocaine concealed in a shipment of nuts at Gioia Tauro port, dealing a major blow to traffickers.
Italian authorities have uncovered a major cocaine shipment after intercepting more than 435 kilograms of high-purity cocaine at the port of Gioia Tauro in southern Italy, the Guardia di Finanza and border police announced.
The narcotics were discovered hidden inside a cargo of approximately 1,000 bags of peanuts that had arrived at the port from Latin America and were destined for Eastern Europe, officials said.
Trained sniffer dog units and law-enforcement officers played a key role in detecting the drugs, which were concealed among the legitimate agricultural goods during routine inspections of inbound containers.
Italian police described the seizure — with a street value estimated at more than €70 million — as a significant blow to organised criminal networks that use major European ports as entry points for smuggled narcotics.
The operation comes amid ongoing efforts to crack down on international cocaine trafficking through Italian seaports, where authorities have intercepted multiple large shipments of illegal drugs in 2025.
Gioia Tauro, located in Calabria, is one of Europe’s busiest container terminals and has been the site of numerous major drug interceptions in recent years, underscoring its role as a strategic transit hub for global trafficking networks.
Investigators continue to examine the shipment’s routing and may pursue further leads related to the criminal networks behind the smuggling attempt.
Reports are sourced from official documents, law-enforcement updates, and credible investigations.
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