Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

US Coast Guard, Brit Navy Seize $380M in Cocaine

Nearly 5.5 tons discovered under concrete floor of fishing boat

By M Papenfuss,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 28, 2009 2:46 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – The British Navy and US Coast Guard have seized a record $380 million worth of cocaine on a fishing boat off the coast of South America.  The boat was searched for 24 hours before investigators broke up the concrete floor with sledgehammers and discovered 5.5 tons of the drug wrapped in bales. Several drug runners of several nationalities were busted, and the boat was sunk by gunfire, reports the BBC.

Cocaine bales are stacked on board a fishing boat off the coast of South America after they were discovered in a joint British Navy-US Coast Guard operation.
Cocaine bales are stacked on board a fishing boat off the coast of South America after they were discovered in a joint British Navy-US Coast Guard operation.   (AP Photo/Ministry of Defense)
Cocaine bales are shown on a fighing trawler stopped off the US Coast Guard off the coast of South America.
Cocaine bales are shown on a fighing trawler stopped off the US Coast Guard off the coast of South America.   (AP Photo/Ministry of Defense)
A US Coast Guard boarding party approaches a fishing boat prior to finding more than 5 tons of cocaine.
A US Coast Guard boarding party approaches a fishing boat prior to finding more than 5 tons of cocaine.   (AP Photo/Ministry of Defense)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
Mia
Sep 28, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
Wonderful! Those are the drugs they need to be getting off the street. Leave the pot alone.
The_Pinkston
Sep 28, 2009 11:58 AM CDT
What was the British Navy doing near South America. That's like Us paroling Iceland.
Diventus
Sep 28, 2009 9:05 AM CDT
*INCORRECT*: HMS Iron Duke’s Lynx helicopter spotted the 138 ft converted fishing vessel MV Cristal operating in a known narcotics trafficking region and acting suspiciously. In a co-ordinated action with the 31,000-tonne RFA Fort George, Iron Duke pounced on the vessel at speed using her armed helicopter and sea boats with a US Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment embarked. Having secured the vessel, an extensive overnight search was conducted revealing cocaine hidden under concrete in the vessel’s ballast tanks. As the search continued through the following day the huge scale of the find became apparent - a total of 212 separate bales of cocaine weighing approximately 26kg each was eventually discovered. ~Britannia rules the traffickers

 
crime • cocaine • Coast Guard • South America • drug traffickers • British Navy

More Newser Stories

36 Pounds of Cocaine Seized at UN

Feds Helped Mexican Drug Honcho Move Millions

Cops: Man Dies Eating Bro's Cocaine to Spare Him Jail

Feds Make Historic Cocaine Bust in Caribbean

Drug Submarine Seized in Colombia
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne