Over 5 tonnes of cocaine seized by Cape Verdean Police
Cape Verdean police stated Wednesday evening that they had confiscated more than five tonnes of cocaine at sea on board a fishing boat from Brazil.
With the assistance of American operatives, Cape Verdean police stated Wednesday evening that they had confiscated more than five tonnes of cocaine at sea on board a fishing boat from Brazil. Five Brazilians and two Montenegrins were also detained.
This is one of the biggest drug busts in Cape Verdean history. They stated they apprehended a Brazilian yacht carrying more than five tonnes of cocaine on Wednesday evening. The operation included the US Drug Enforcement Agency, the US Navy, the Brazilian Federal Police, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, in addition to the Cape Verdean services.
Five Brazilians and two Montenegrins were also apprehended by the Cape Verdean police. In January 2019, a Panamanian-flagged yacht carrying a Russian crew left South America for Morocco and was discovered with 9,570 kilograms of cocaine in the port of Praia, the main city.
“The operation took place on April 1 after a high-seas approach on suspicion of international drug trafficking,” said Ricardo Gonçalves, director of the Cape Verdean judicial police. “Under the jurisdiction of the Cape Verdean authorities, the police of the United States of America and Cape Verde embarked, inspected the fishing boat, and proceeded to the seizure of 5,668 kilograms of cocaine,” he said in front of journalists.
Cocaine is reported to pass across the West African coast on its way from Latin America to Europe. Because of its remoteness and the size of its waterways, Cape Verde is prone to monitoring with inadequate resources.