Authorities announced Thursday that 165 pounds of cocaine were seized from a British cargo ship moored in north-western Colombia, reported national media.
“Athens,” a British cargo ship docked in the Caribbean port of Cienaga, was reportedly subject to a search Thursday by Colombia’s Technical Investigation Team (CTI) and members of the navy.
Through the use of sniffer dogs, the search team discovered three suitcases hidden in the anchor room with a combined haul of 75kg of processed cocaine, according to the El Espectador newspaper.
Charges have yet to be announced, and it is unclear whether the shipment was part of a larger smuggling operation.
The find was a relatively small one, compared to some of the shipments uncovered leaving Colombian ports, but rare in that the ship was said to be registered in England. While the United Kingdom represents one of the most prominent final destinations for narcotics being exported from Colombia, British ships are not typically implicated by the relevant authorities.