A lorry driver from Lithuania has been remanded in custody after customs officers found 183kg of cocaine hidden in his vehicle at the port of Zeebrugge, prosecutors said.
The drugs were discovered on Monday during a routine customs inspection, according to the West Flanders public prosecutor’s office in Bruges.
The lorry was taken to a scanner after arriving at the port. It was officially carrying 29 pallets of tomato sauce, though during the inspection, officers found a concealed compartment beneath the floor plate of the vehicle.
Inside, customs officers discovered 160 packages of cocaine with a total weight of 183kg. Prosecutors said the drugs have an estimated street value of more than €9 million.
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The 30-year-old driver was arrested and questioned. An investigating judge in Bruges then ordered his detention on suspicion of drug trafficking and involvement in a criminal organisation.
On Friday morning, the Bruges pre-trial chamber ruled that the suspect must remain in prison for at least another month in the interest of the investigation.
The investigation is being carried out by the West Flanders federal judicial police under the direction of the investigating judge in Bruges, the prosecutor’s office said.
