COLUMBIAN COCAINE kept off the streets

RICHARDS Bay was thrust into the international drug smuggling spotlight on Monday when a R15-million consignment of Columbian cocaine bricks was intercepted at the harbour.

Acting on information that had been gathered and tracked over some days, a multi-disciplinary team boarded the vessel Genco Columbia on Monday after she had docked shortly after 11pm on Friday.

She had left Barranquilla in Columbia on 26 March, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag.

Carrying a cargo of metcoal (metallurgical coal, used in the manufacture of steel), the modern 200m long ultramax dry bulk carrier moored at berth 606.

However, along with the legitimate consignment, authorities who swarmed onto the ship exposed 20 compactly wrapped parcels of cocaine hidden on board.

Lt Col Simphiwe Mhlongo, head of the KZN Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) said they were alerted by the US Drug Enforcement Agency after they tracked the vessel somewhere in the Caribbean and began noticing suspicious activities.

“They notified us so we could intercept it on time. We received the tip-off last week and quickly reacted to prevent these drugs from going onto the streets.

“Right now, our investigation is focusing on who the target recipient was,” Mhlongo told the ZO on Wednesday.

By Tuesday morning, off-loading of the vessel’s cargo was under way, but Mhlongo reported that investigators were still on board, seeking other possible hiding places.

The had been due to set sail today (Thursday).