Cocaine stash worth £11m delivered to Aldi
Police say smugglers made a 'logistical error' in the second accidental drug delivery to the budget supermarket

Large shipments of cocaine have been discovered in crates of bananas in Aldi supermarkets across Berlin, for the second time this year.
The drugs were found in several stores and weighed a total of 300kg, local newspaper Berliner Morgenpost reports. With an estimated street value of £11m, it's the single largest shipment of cocaine ever to be discovered in the city.
Unwitting employees discovered the narcotics while unpacking crates of fruit in stores in Berlin and Brandenburg. The drugs were said to have a very high degree of purity.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Police believe the smugglers made a "logistical error" en route from Colombia. "The wrong container was probably used when the merchandise was put on board the ship," police spokesperson Stefan Redlich told the RBB radio station.
"Or possibly, there wasn't enough time for the smugglers to unload it when it arrived in Hamburg," he speculated.
Drug cartels have been known to use food shipments to smuggle large amounts of narcotics from South and Central America to Europe. Last year, £1.1m worth of cocaine was found in a coffee shipment in Berlin.
This isn't the first time Aldi has received an unwanted delivery with its bananas. In January, 140kg of cocaine was discovered in boxes shipped from Colombia to Berlin.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Can Trump bully Netanyahu into Gaza peace?
Today's Big Question The Israeli leader was ‘strong-armed’ into new peace deal
-
‘The Taliban delivers yet another brutal blow’
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Renewables top coal as Trump seeks reversal
Speed Read For the first time, renewable energy sources generated more power than coal, said a new report
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations