- Police in the Marshall Islands have found their biggest drug haul ever, in an abandoned boat washed ashore on a small atoll.
- It’s thought the vessel might have drifted across the Pacific Ocean from Latin America, spending possibly months out at sea.
- The 649kg (1,430lb) of cocaine have an estimated street value of $80m (£61m).
A recently published news article in BBC reveals that a cocaine ‘ghost boat’ washes up in Marshall Islands.
US Drug Enforcement Administration
Police said the drugs were incinerated on Tuesday, apart from two packets, which have been sent to the US Drug Enforcement Administration for testing.
Who found the boat?
The 5.5m-long (18ft) boat was found by a local resident on Ailuk atoll. Locals tried to move the vessel but were unable to do so as it was too heavy.
Upon further investigation, they discovered the packets of drugs in a hidden compartment inside the boat.
Where are the drugs?
Upon further investigation, they discovered the packets of drugs in a hidden compartment inside the boat.
The boat would have been washed
Marshall Islands Attorney General Richard Hickson said the boat could have been drifting for more than a year and was most likely from Central or South America.
Pacific Ocean currents often push debris from there to the Marshall Islands, and drug finds are not uncommon.
Drugs sold by locals and not this time
Most of the time, the drugs are sold by locals rather than reported to the authorities. Authorities in the Marshall Islands say this has fueled a drug problem and hospitals have reported a rise in patients with complications relating to the consumption of crack cocaine.
Mr Hickson praised locals for notifying authorities about the most recent haul.
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Source: BBC
