Sunday, November 4, 2007

Ship flying SAR flag seized with US$2b cocaine

A container ship which was involved in Mexico's biggest cocaine bust is not registered in Hong Kong though it was flying the SAR flag when seized, police said on Friday.


Mexican authorities have so far found 26 tonnes of cocaine worth US$2 billion onboard the Esmeralda after it arrived in the country from Colombia. The head of the Hong Kong police narcotics bureau, chief superintendent Peter Else, said a check with the registry of shipping showed no record of a ship registered under the name of Esmeralda. Police and marines discovered the first cache of 11 tonnes of cocaine on Tuesday after the ship had arrived from Buenaventura in Colombia. The statement said the cocaine was found in more than 21,000 packages and that authorities were still searching the vessel for more drugs. The Mexican government called it the largest drug seizure in the country's history.


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