Authorities in the Dominican Republic announced Friday that they confiscated nearly 9.5 tons of cocaine, the largest drug seizure in the country’s history. The $250 million worth of drugs were found nestled inside a banana shipment that arrived at the Caucedo port in the capital of Santo Domingo, the country’s most important seaport. The shipment had been sent from Guatemala and was destined for Belgium, said Carlos Devers, spokesman for the Dominican Republic’s Anti-Drug Agency. Foreign national detained with 4 kgs of Cocaine at Chattogram airport Ten suspects have been detained, he said at a press conference. Authorities so far this year have seized nearly 47 tons of drugs. BGB seizes 2.5 kg cocaine on Khulna-bound train in Kushtia The second biggest seizure on record was reported in 2006, when officials found more than 5,680 pounds (2,580 kilograms) at the Caucedo port. The Dominican Republic has long been considered a major drug transit point. African national arrested with 200 grams cocaine from Uttara hotel in Dhaka

A Khulna Court on Thursday sentenced a man to death and five others to different terms in a case over possessing cocaine in 2017. The condemned convict is Bikash Chandra Biswas. He was also fined Tk one lakh. Read: Trading, using 200 grams of Yaba to invite death sentence Khulna District and Sessions Judge Mashiur Rahman Chowdhury handed down the verdict in presence of two convicts. Besides, Sohel Rana was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined Tk one lakh, Arifur Rahman alias Sagir sentenced to 15 years rigorous imprisonment and fined Tk one lakh, in default, to suffer another two years more RI. The court sentenced Bikash Chandra Mandal, Ershad and Fazlur Rahman Fakir to 10 years imprisonment and fined Tk 25,000 each, in default, to suffer another year of imprisonment. According to the case statement, tipped off, a team of Khulna Rab-6 arrested Sohel Rana conducting a drive at Moylapota crossing of Khulna city on August 11 in 2017. They also seized 230 grams of cocaine worth Tk 2.30 crore from Sohel’s possession. Based on Sohel’s information given during interrogation, Rab men arrested five others conducting different drives in the city. Later, they seized 20 more grams of cocaine worth Tk 2.20. Rab official Md Rabiul Islam filed a case under the Narcotic Control Act at Rupsha Police Station against the six arrestees.