Half Ton of Cocaine Worth More Than $50 Million Found in Coffee Bean Delivery to Nespresso Plant

Police in Switzerland seized roughly half a ton of cocaine that was found in a shipment delivered to a Nespresso plant this week.

Per a report from CBS News, local authorities announced Thursday they had seized the coke after its discovery among a shipment of beans delivered to the Romont-located plant in question. Employees at the facility first alerted officials to what they described as a “mysterious white powder” found among bags of beans, with subsequent analysis later confirming the powder was indeed cocaine.

The total haul is claimed to have boasted a possible market value of roughly $51 million. According to investigators, the shipment originally came from Brazil.

In a statement included in a separate Reuters report, a Nespresso rep said the cocaine “did not come into contact with any of our products or production equipment used to make our products.” Furthermore, the rep added, all Nespresso products remain “safe to consume.”

Of course, similarly coke-centered interceptions have long remained fodder for headlines of this variety. Last December, for example, a man described as a boater was revealed to have found a shipment of cocaine claimed to be worth more than $1 million “floating at sea near the Florida Keys,” per a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

In 2020, Oregon became the first state to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of a number of drugs, including cocaine. The move was widely praised by drug law reform advocates, including Drug Policy Alliance executive director Kassandra Frederique.

“As we saw with the domino effect of marijuana legalization, we expect this victory to inspire other states to follow suit and enact their own decriminalization policies that prioritize health over punishment,” Frederique said at the time.