Swiss authorities say they seized 500kg of cocaine from a shipment of coffee bound for a Nespresso factory.
Workers at the Romont plant notified authorities after discovering white powder in sacks of coffee beans.
More of the drug was later discovered in five shipping containers, according to police. An initial investigation revealed that the shipment originated in Brazil.
According to a Nespresso statement, the drug did not contaminate the plant’s production of coffee capsules.
The coffee company stated, “We want to reassure consumers that all of our products are safe to consume.”
The seized cocaine was 80 percent pure and had a street value of nearly €50 million ($53 million; £43 million).
“It’s definitely a big seizure for the canton of Fribourg, one can say an extraordinary catch,” said Marc Andrey, head of security for the region.
The cocaine was probably destined for the European market, police said.
