Drug smuggling banana containers from Ecuador to Europe has exposed shocking links to President Daniel Noboa’s family business. Encrypted messages between Balkan criminals reveal they claimed exclusive rights to hide cocaine inside banana containers shipped by Noboa Trading Co.

Investigators discovered this cocaine trafficking fruit shipments operation between late 2020 and early 2021. Three shipments containing 535 kilograms of cocaine travelled from Ecuador to Croatia. Authorities valued the drugs at roughly £22 million. All shipments used legitimate banana exports as cover.

Croatian prosecution documents show two individuals using encrypted platform Sky ECC. They boasted that “no one but them” could load narcotics into Noboa Trading containers. Investigators identified one person as Nikola Đorđević. Serbian authorities now want this organized crime figure.

The complexity of global supply chains makes it nearly impossible to monitor every container that leaves busy ports. Criminals exploit these gaps with sophisticated networks spanning multiple continents.

Drug Smuggling Banana Containers: The Ecuador to Croatia Route

A single shipment from January 2021 reveals the operation’s scale. Container MEDU9747725 left Guayaquil port on 25 January aboard the MSC Mirella. The container carried 430 kilograms of cocaine hidden amongst Bonita bananas.

Đorđević arranged for criminals to conceal the drugs at the source. A separate Croatian group led by Petar Ćosić planned to retrieve the cargo upon arrival. The container travelled through Panama before reaching Italy. It finally docked at Croatian ports.

Shipping records confirmed the traffickers told the truth. Their encrypted chats referenced specific dates, vessel names and container numbers. All details matched genuine Noboa Trading shipments.

Croatian authorities seized the final shipment at Ploče port in early March 2021. It contained 60 kilograms. However, the larger loads had already slipped through undetected.

Cocaine Trafficking Fruit Shipments Linked to Convicted Drug Lord

Evidence points to an even bigger player behind the Croatian operation. Darko Šarić, a convicted Montenegrin drug lord, allegedly controlled the network. Serbian courts are currently trying him for money laundering and organizing assassinations.

Serbian prosecutors say Šarić managed criminal operations from prison using Sky ECC. Court documents show he allegedly issued orders to Ćosić about the banana containers. He used encrypted messages to communicate.

Šarić denies everything. His lawyer insists prison searches found no prohibited communication devices. Authorities conducted countless searches without finding evidence.

President Faces Uncomfortable Questions

President Noboa has positioned himself as an anti-drug crusader. The timing could not be worse. This year he called on US and European forces to join his “war” against “narco-terrorists.”

During a presidential debate earlier this year, opposition candidate Luisa González challenged him. Previous reports showed authorities had seized nearly 700 kilograms of cocaine from Noboa Trading containers between 2020 and 2022.

President Noboa insisted the company cooperated with authorities. He said officials had cleared the company of wrongdoing. “I am not the owner, but members of my family are in that company,” he stated. He tried to distance himself from direct involvement.

Company records paint a more complicated picture. His father Alvaro Noboa leads both Noboa Corporation and Noboa Group. These umbrella organizations oversee the banana business. Before entering politics, Daniel Noboa worked at Noboa Corporation. He became its youngest ever shipping director.

The ownership structure adds more complexity. Lanfranco Holding S.A. owns the majority of Noboa Trading. The company registered in Panama where shareholder anonymity receives protection. The 2015 Pandora Papers leak revealed something important. Alvaro Noboa transferred Lanfranco Holding to two sons, Daniel and Juan Sebastian.

How Criminals Exploit Legitimate Fruit Export Routes

Modern drug smuggling banana containers operations rely on modular criminal supply chains. Different groups specialize in specific roles. Some load cargo at origin. Others manage maritime logistics. Distribution teams handle the final stage. They all collaborate on major operations.

Anna Sergi, an organized crime expert at the University of Bologna, explained the system. “Groups specialize in origin stuffing, maritime logistics and local distribution. They then sell or barter those capabilities.”

Banana shipments attract traffickers for good reasons. Ecuador ranks as the world’s largest banana exporter. Millions of containers pass through busy ports like Guayaquil every year. Between 2014 and 2024, Noboa Trading exported £158 million worth of fruit to Croatia alone.

Bruce Goldberg worked as a US Drug Enforcement Administration agent in Ecuador. He put it simply. “The more you send to that region, the greater likelihood that containers will face contamination. Ecuador sends bananas everywhere.”

Ecuador’s Ombudsman made a startling claim earlier this year. Up to 70% of drugs consumed in Europe now originate from Ecuador. Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain remain major entry points. However, improved security has pushed traffickers toward smaller secondary ports. Croatia’s six commercial harbours now see increased activity.

Statistics paint a grim picture. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported cocaine production in South America reached record levels in recent years. Ecuador’s geographical position between Colombia and Peru makes it a natural transit point.

Port Security Gaps Enable Cocaine Trafficking Fruit Shipments

No evidence suggests Noboa Trading management knew about the contraband. However, the case exposes serious vulnerabilities in port security and container handling.

Sergi noted the decrypted chats reveal something troubling. “Someone with control over the physical container stuffing and departure process is complicit. Criminals may have captured them.” Weak controls create opportunities. Opaque contracting of third party packers adds risk. Informal gate practices make matters worse.

A Noboa Trading contractor responsible for anti-narcotics inspections faced judicial proceedings at least four times. Authorities never prosecuted this person.

MSC operated the vessels involved in the drug smuggling banana containers cases. The shipping firm stated it “remains firmly opposed to the cocaine trade.” The company continues intensifying security efforts. “The picture today is very different,” MSC said. They pointed to improved detection technology and customs partnerships.

Wider Implications for Drug Prevention

The Noboa Trading case represents just one thread in a vast cocaine trafficking web from South America to Europe. Serbian authorities charged Đorđević as part of the “Balkan Cartel” investigation. Prosecutors allege multiple organized crime groups worked together. They collectively smuggled around seven tons of cocaine into Europe during 2019 and 2020.

Đorđević remains a fugitive. An international arrest warrant went out in May 2023. Croatian courts are trying Ćosić for organizing a criminal enterprise, murder and smuggling hundreds of kilograms of cocaine. Some shipments used banana containers as cover.

The investigation shows how easily criminals compromise legitimate global supply chains. They identify weak points and exploit them systematically. President Noboa built his political career on combating drug violence. The revelations create an uncomfortable reality. The same trade routes that built his family’s fortune now serve as highways for the narcotics he vowed to stop.

Systemic port reforms and stricter supply chain controls might address these vulnerabilities. The question remains open. European demand for cocaine stays high. Traffickers will keep finding creative ways to hide their cargo. Even the world’s most innocent fruit cannot escape their reach.

Understanding how these drug smuggling banana containers operations work matters for prevention efforts. Communities need awareness of how criminals exploit legitimate businesses. Young people especially need education about the devastating impact of the drug trade. It destroys lives at every level, from production zones to consumer markets.

Source: occrp