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Belgian Customs made a significant discovery on December 28 when inspecting a shipment bound for Belgium from Uruguay. The shipment, consisting of 22,320 units of Portezuelo brand budines and alfajores, along with 1,122 bottles of vermouth, was found to contain 2.16 tons of cocaine. The cargo, valued at $48,256, originated from Uruguay and was being shipped to Belgium. The investigation into the oversight during transit through the Uruguayan port was initiated after Belgian Customs uncovered the large quantity of cocaine. The cargo had an unusual route, passing through the first private Free Zone in Uruguay, Zonamerica, before reaching the Port of Montevideo. Despite several red flags, the shipment received a "green channel" and underwent only routine scanner inspection, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the inspection process in the port.