Ivory Coast’s navy has seized a record amount of cocaine plastic-wrapped in small bundles bearing the tattered logos of French fashion house Louis Vuitton and Pacena Black, a dark beer from Bolivia.
The 411 kilograms of cocaine destined for the commercial capital Abidjan came from a Spanish-flagged ship that had been spotted by the navy idling 250 km (155 miles) off the coast since Jan. 30, the navy said in a statement on Wednesday.
The ship offloaded the drugs onto a smaller boat which was picked up by a special unit of the Ivorian navy on Monday at about 1830 GMT, the navy said. Five people were also taken into custody.
It was not yet clear where the cocaine originated from or who was responsible for trafficking it.
Camera footage provided by the Ivorian navy on Wednesday showed hundreds of the seized packages laid out on tables.
Major drug hauls in Ivory Coast are rare, but over the last 18 months several large cocaine seizures have been made along the West African Atlantic Coast, a frequent stopping point for South American cocaine heading to Europe. About 40 tonnes pass through the region annually, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
About 9.5 tonnes were seized in the island archipelago of Cape Verde last year in one of the biggest hauls ever. Last September, police in Guinea-Bissau seized more than 1.8 tonnes hidden in flour bags, the biggest in the country’s history.
Latest Stories
-
Don’t transmit the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to Akufo-Addo – Presidency to Parliament
3 mins -
Ghana’s economic downturn not only due to COVID-19 but also excessive spending – IMF
6 mins -
Canon Miraisha Partners with SOS Children’s Villages Morocco to Empower Youth through Photography Education
21 mins -
Gunmen in Nigeria kidnap about 100 in weekend attacks
1 hour -
Aftermath of soldiers killings: Bloodbath in Delta, villagers flee, hide in forests
2 hours -
Evergrande: China property giant and its founder accused of $78bn fraud
2 hours -
All set for ‘Detor – The Rise of A Warrior Hunter’ premiere
2 hours -
Obaapanin Grace Duoduwaa aka Ogrey
2 hours -
How to heal your heart after you’ve been left
3 hours -
Joy FM’s Eastern Camp Adventure: Discoveries, experiences, excitement!
3 hours -
There are 3 types of divorced men — and only one is relationship material
4 hours -
More than 79,000 Ghanaian girls 12 -17 years married, living with men
4 hours -
Tamale water crisis forces students out of school
4 hours -
Religious leader urges participation in 2024 election; calls for support for Aflao community
4 hours -
Who followed up when Elon Musk closed Twitter’s Ghana office – Sam Georges questions government
4 hours