A joint investigation by KRIK, OCCRP and partner media has uncovered explosive evidence suggesting that Balkan cocaine traffickers used shipping containers belonging to the family business of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa to smuggle large quantities of drugs into Europe.
According to intercepted “Sky ECC” messages, traffickers boasted that they held exclusive rights to hide cocaine inside containers owned by Noboa Trading, a major banana-exporting company behind the globally known “Bonita” brand.
Exclusive Messages Reveal Privileged Access
In a February 2021 Sky conversation obtained by prosecutors in Croatia, two Balkan traffickers celebrated their privileged position:
“No one except us can put cocaine in ‘Noboa’ containers,” one message read — a claim that strongly indicates deep-level access within the company’s logistics chain.
This is especially alarming given that Noboa Trading is part of the business empire controlled by the family of Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa, raising serious questions about accountability and oversight at the highest political levels in Ecuador.
Shipments Reached Croatia Multiple Times
Documents and shipping records analyzed by investigative journalists confirm that at least three shipments of cocaine, hidden among Bonita bananas, reached Croatia between late 2020 and early 2021.
The operation involved:
- Nikola Đorđević, a fugitive defendant in the “Balkan Cartel” case
- Members of the criminal network of Darko Šarić, one of the most notorious narco bosses in the region
Journalists matched vessel movements, container numbers, and export data, confirming that the cocaine was indeed concealed in Noboa Trading shipments.
Šarić’s Network Extracted the Cocaine in Croatia
According to prosecutors, in Croatia the retrieval of the cocaine was coordinated by Petar Ćosić (“Šarac”), a close associate of Darko Šarić.
- One shipment contained 430 kg of cocaine, hidden in a container that accidentally arrived in Rijeka.
- Two more shipments of 45 kg and 60 kg were partly intercepted by police.
Ćosić — and allegedly Šarić himself — communicated through Sky phones, even while Šarić was held in a high-security Serbian prison.
Šarić denies the allegations; his lawyer insists that “no Sky phone was ever found” in his cell.
Did the President’s Family Business Enable Trafficking?
President Noboa has publicly denied personal involvement in the company’s operations, though he acknowledges family ownership:
“I am not the owner, but family members are involved in the company,” he has stated.
However, leaked Pandora Papers documents reviewed by OCCRP show that Noboa was at one time a co-owner of the firm that controls Noboa Trading — contradicting attempts to distance himself from the company.
Ecuadorian opposition figures have repeatedly alleged that banana shipments belonging to the Noboa empire have been used for cocaine export, and investigations in Ecuador previously uncovered nearly 700 kg of cocaine hidden in Noboa containers between 2020 and 2022.
Despite this, no senior figure in the company has been criminally charged, including the individual responsible for container inspection, who was investigated multiple times but never prosecuted.
Ecuador: A Major Gateway for Cocaine to Europe
According to local and international drug enforcement experts:
- 70% of cocaine consumed in Europe is estimated to transit through Ecuador.
- Increased policing in major EU ports like Rotterdam and Antwerp has pushed traffickers toward smaller, less controlled ports such as those in Croatia.
Noboa Trading alone exported €160 million worth of fruit to Croatia between 2014 and 2024 — meaning its shipping routes represent prime targets for exploitation by organized crime.
Experts See Clear Indications of Inside Collusion
Sociology professor and organized-crime expert Ana Sergi told OCCRP:
“The Sky messages strongly suggest that someone with control over the container-loading process was complicit.”
While the messages do not prove direct involvement of company leadership, they do indicate that traffickers operated with unusual confidence and access, implying internal cooperation or corruption.
Conclusion
The investigation reveals a troubling intersection of organized crime, international shipping, and a company tied to the sitting president of Ecuador.
While no direct evidence implicates President Noboa personally, the findings raise serious questions about governance, oversight, and potential vulnerabilities within one of Ecuador’s most influential family-run corporations.
As Balkan and South American cartels increasingly collaborate to bypass European controls, these revelations underscore the urgent need for stronger international monitoring of global commodity supply chains
