Mexican Navy Finds Cocaine on Containership
The containership Kota Lukis of Singapore Pacific International Lines was berthed at the Port of Manzanillo, in Mexico, last Saturday, when Mexican Navy raiders unearthed a large drug stash hidden amongst the 4,000-plus containers on board the vessel.
The Navy seized 136 kilos of cocaine.
The Mexican Navy took control operations of that nation’s ports in March 2016, after the Mexican government announced that harbor authorities in Mexico, part of the Communications and Transportation Secretariat, had proven unable to inspect at least 20 percent of foreign vessels which dock at the country’s ports.
The operation aboard the Kota Lukis was carried out by a unit of the Navy’s sixth region, according to a statement released Mexico‘s maritime secretary. The raid came about as a result of a coordinated effort by naval intelligence and local authorities. The cocaine stash was secreted among electronics shipments and consisted of 117 packets of white powder.
The vessel, which arrived in Manzanillo from Buenaventura, Colombia, was allowed to leave the port. The crew are not suspect in the case.
Manzanillo has the highest number of drug incidents in all of Mexico, according to reports, and also has one of the highest violent crime rate increases in Mexico in recent years.
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