Packets of a white substance were discovered by workers at the factory last week and the police were informed. Analysis confirmed the substance was cocaine, with bags found across five shipping containers.
Initial investigations suggest that the shipment had arrived at the factory from Brazil. The cocaine had a degree of purity of more than 80% with a value estimated at more than CHF 50m ($51m). Police believe the drug had been destined for the European market.
The bags of cocaine were isolated and did not come into contact with Nespresso production, say the police.
In a statement sent to this publication, a Nestle spokesperson said: "While offloading a green coffee delivery at our Romont factory on 2 May 2022, we discovered a suspicious substance."
"We immediately reported this to the authorities and an investigation into the matter is underway. The entire shipment was blocked and seized by the police as part of their investigation.
"We have strict quality controls in place for green coffee arriving at our warehouses right up to the finished product. The substance in question did not come into contact with any of our products or production equipment used to make our products. As a police investigation is underway, we cannot share more details.
"We want to reassure consumers that all our products are safe to consume."
