A consignment of 1.2 tonnes of cocaine intercepted at the port of Vlissingen in August was destined for a company storage unit in Amsterdam’s Food Centre, the Parool reported on Friday.

Mayor Femke Halsema has ordered the unit to be closed for six months. “If the unit remains in use, it could pose a serious risk to public safety,” the council said in a statement. “By closing the unit, public order will be restored immediately.”

The drugs were discovered on August 8, hidden in a shipment of bananas from Colombia. A week later, a 43-year-old man from Amsterdam was arrested and police searched two company premises.

According to the Parool, police had removed the cocaine from the consignment, leaving behind a 30-gram sample, and allowed the bananas to continue to their destination. The sample was later found at the storage unit in question.

The Food Centre, which is partially being redeveloped as a residential area, serves as a distribution hub for dozens of food wholesale businesses.

The amount of cocaine smuggled into Europe through the port of Vlissingen almost trebled in 2023, according to police figures. It is one of the main ports of entry for bananas and other fresh fruit from South America.