Three sailors of one of the Spanish Navy’s training vessels have been arrested after authorities found 127 kilos of cocaine presumed to originate from Colombia on the ship, Spain’s Civil Guard said on Wednesday.
It’s believed that the 127 kilos was loaded in the Colombian port of Cartagena. The sailors who allegedly carried out the trafficking have been detained.
The case dates back to mid July, when the three sailors were arrested by the Spanish Civil Guard on suspicion of selling 20 kilos of cocaine in New York. After further investigations of the ship, the Civil Guard found 127 kilos of cocaine hidden in the storeroom among candles, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported.
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When the Juan Sebastian Elcano, a historical training ship for the Spanish army, docked in Spain after six months at sea, it wasn’t met with waving flags and open arms.
Instead, the Civil Guard was waiting to cuff three of the sailors for smuggling 127 kilos high-purity cocaine. The drugs had allegedly been loaded in the Colombian port city of Cartagena.
The investigation was carried out by the Spanish authorities in coordination with the New York Police Department.
All three alleged offenders are detained in a military prison and face up to six years.
Sources
- Incautados 127 kilos de cocaína en el buque escuela de la Armada (El Pais)
- Hallan 127 kilos de coca en el barco rey de España (Semana)