16581: Hermantin-SunSentinel-$3.5 million in cocaine found hidden aboard frieghter (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

$3.5 million in cocaine found hidden aboard frieghter in Miami River



sun-sentinel.com

August 28, 2003, 5:26 PM EDT

MIAMI – Federal agents on Thursday said they seized $3.5 million in cocaine
hidden in secret compartments aboard a Haitian freighter docked in the Miami
River.

Agents from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U. S. Customs
and Border Protection confiscated 486 pounds of cocaine secreted in two
compartments hidden between the ship's fuel tanks in the engine room.

Wednesday evening, agents and inspectors reboarded the M/V MS. Lyly I and
began re-examining the 184-foot cargo ship, which arrived in the Miami River
on Aug. 16th, from Port de Paix, Haiti. It had been searched previously. No
reason was given for the re-examination.

Around 8 p.m. inspectors searching the engine room drilled a hole into the
deck and when they removed the drill bit it was covered with white powder
that tested out as cocaine.

Further search revealed the engine-room drug caches.

The ship's crew -- a Peruvian, a Cuban, two Haitians and two Hondurans --
were interviewed throughout the night. No arrests have been made.

Agents are still trying to determine who shipped the cocaine and who was
scheduled to receive it.
Copyright © 2003, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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