Colombian Navy seize 200 kg of cocaine from merchant vessel

DIVERS in Colombia have seized more than 200 kg of cocaine from the sea chest of a merchant vessel earlier this week.

In a statement on social media, the Colombian Navy confirmed that divers from the Buenaventura Coast Guard station located seven suspicious bags in the sea chest, which sits below the waterline and filters seawater.

The bags turned out to contain 208 kg of cocaine, which the navy said amounted to 521,000 doses and was worth more than $10m to the criminal enterprises that intended to smuggle it.

The vessel has not been named by Colombian authorities, but the navy said it was due to leave one of Colombia’s Pacific ports and was bound for Europe.

Narcotics continue to be seized on board merchant vessels at a consistent rate.

Spanish police seized more than six tonnes of cocaine from a merchant ship in October, while Belgian authorities seized hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from a product tanker in Zeebrugge in June.

While compromised workers on both land and on vessels are often key facilitators of this trade, often seafarers know nothing about the illicit cargo being carried on board their vessels, yet can face legal action regardless.

Between 2023 and 2024 the World Customs Organization found that more than 1,000 tonnes of drugs were seized through the maritime supply chain, with 97% of that being cocaine.