Lithuania: Massive cocaine bust in Klaipėda
http://bit.ly/aHr0TE
Klaipeda, Lithuania — More than 500 kg of cocaine was found by police Tuesday afternoon stashed in a cargo ship originating from Ecuador and bound for Germany that was docked in Klaipėda’s port.
The bust was carried out by Lithuania’s Criminal Police Bureau in conjuction with Latvian, American and Ecuadorian authorities. Hidden inside frozen fish, the cargo ship is estimated to contain €86 million worth of cocaine at street prices.
The drug smugglers hid the 500 kg of cocaine in frozen fish. Photo: Baltic Reports (courtesy of the Criminal Police Bureau)
Police say this is the largest-scale drug bust in Lithuanian history.
Four men that operated the cargo ship were arrested, but police are not releasing details of their nationality nor if they will be charged. The men have denied any knowledge of their narcotic cargo. No drugs were found outside of the frozen fish.
January 27, 2010
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Lithuanian cops seize 500 kg of cocaine in Klaipeda
January 26, 2010, by Alfa
Source:
http://bit.ly/aHr0TE
Lithuanian police say they have seized a record 500 kilograms of cocaine that was stashed in a shipment of fish which arrived at the Klaipeda seaport from Ecuador.
A report earlier on Tuesday placed the drugs’ street value at 87 million euros but the estimate has now been downgraded to about one-third of that figure.
It has emerged that suspects in Ecuador have been detained in connection with the operation, but there have been no reports of Lithuanians being arrested.
Police said the seizure was the result of a lengthy operation involving officers from Ecuador and Lithuania’s Baltic neighbour Latvia.
A police official said Lithuania was not the final destination for the shipment.
The previous record for a seizure of cocaine in Lithuania was 40 kilograms.
