On August 9, the Italian police discovered 20 tonnes of hash worth as much as 200 million euros (£180 million) in the fuel tanks of a Panama-flagged ship that was sailing through International waters.
What happened?
The research and survey vessel ‘Remus’ enroute from Canary islands to Egypt came under surveillance after it turned off its position transmitter near the North African coast.
Hash discovered
Based on suspicions, the Italian police boarded the vessel and seized the vessel. The fuel tank of the vessel in question was seized and hash were discovered wrapped in brown bags. The eleven crew members onboard the vessel were arrested.
Statement released
The police released a statement, “The Mediterranean Sea again is confirmed to be one of the world’s largest arteries for illegal trafficking. The results of the operation are the fruit of attentive intelligence gathering and analysis of the ship’s routes”.
They further added, “The North African hashish – compressed cannabis resin – was probably destined for the European market, police said”.
Investigation launched
An investigation has been launched into the incident to determine the origin of the hash and the modus operandi involved.
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Source: Reuters
