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The Brazilian Federal Police reported a successful raid in the ongoing efforts to disrupt drug smuggling operations. In the latest raid carried out on Sunday morning in the Port of Santos, a dozen large bundles were retrieved from the sea chest of a Greek bulker, yielding 341 kg of cocaine.
The Federal Police said they were acting on intelligence work and risk monitoring carried out at the Port of Santos. The crew of the bulker Green K-Max 1 reportedly observed a small boat nearby and alerted the police.
The operation involved the Federal Police working with divers from the Brazilian Navy. The Federal Revenue Service and the Santos Port Authority were also involved.
The Green-K Max 1 had arrived at the port from India and was reported to be loading and preparing to depart for Poland. The 80,856 dwt vessel built in 2019 is registered in Liberia and managed by Greece's Aegean Eco Carriers.
The divers conducted an underwater search of the 229-meter (751-foot) long vessel and located the bundles hidden in a sea chest. The police called it a complex operation, noting the challenges for the smugglers to place the drugs into the ship. However, they said sea chests were one of the preferred methods for smuggling.
The authorities note that Santos is a frequently used route for the smuggling of drugs. They have increased their monitoring efforts at the port.
It comes as European officials in Spain, Italy, Portugal, and the UK, along with the United States, reported an increased effort to disrupt what they referred to as the "Atlantic Cocaine Highway." They said smugglers were diversifying their routes and attempting to land the drugs at smaller ports to avoid detection. During April, the European operation intercepted eight ships and arrested 54 people. It seized 11 tonnes of cocaine along with 8.5 tonnes of hashish.
They reported that the smugglers are using containerships and bulkers as well as smaller non-commercial vessels to transfer the cocaine. Spanish authorities recently intercepted a small cargo ship heading into the Mediterranean that they said was "stuffed" with drugs. The ship had between 30 and 45 tonnes aboard, and they suspect multiple small boats would have met up with the ship to ferry the drugs to multiple locations in Europe.
Fuente: The Maritime Executive
