Burst! 104 containers seized!
Spanish authorities have seized hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from a container ship on the Arkas Line, the Izmit Express, and seized 104 containers on board.
According to Spanish media reports, the 2586TEU container capacity "Izmit Express" (built in 2017) arrived in the Atlantic port of Vigo on November 17.
During the voyage, the captain discovered a suspicious package in the cargo hold and immediately notified the authorities. A total of 24 kilograms of cocaine were seized during initial inspections. Although the ship subsequently left the port, authorities detained the 104 containers it was carrying.
In the latest search, Spanish authorities found 432 packages totaling 524 kilograms of cocaine in the bottom mezzanine of a container containing bananas, and customs officials had to drill a hole in the container to remove the cocaine, according to new reports from local media.
Abel Losada, a local government representative, said it was unlikely that any more drugs would be recovered.
Arkas Line said in a statement that the captain of the Izmit Express notified the authorities immediately after discovering the suspicious package.
"It is important to note that the Arkas Group does not own the cargo or containers on the Izmit Express as the vessel is operated under a charter agreement," the company said in a statement.
"The responsibility for the cargo and its contents lies with the chartering company and the relevant transport agreement. The Arkas Group was not involved in the selection or handling of the containers or their contents."
The company said it was cooperating fully with the Spanish authorities.
The Izmit Express, built in 2017, has a capacity of 2586TEU, flies the Maltese flag and is managed by the shipping company Arkas.
The Izmit Express is currently deployed by Hapag-Lloyd on the South America-Mediterranean MSW route.
The ship, which had previously docked in Colombia and Panama, has now left the port of Barcelona for its next port, Cartagena. It is expected to arrive on December 17.
The incident once again highlights the critical situation of drug trafficking at sea and the important role of the shipping industry in combating this criminal activity.
It is worth noting that this is not the first time in recent times that Spain has seized large quantities of drugs at sea. In October, the crew of a Turkish cargo ship was arrested after it was found to be carrying cocaine worth 400 million euros ($437 million) during a raid near the Canary Islands.
The 2,500-tonne Ras, built in 1994, was stopped 130 nautical miles (241 km) off Lanzarote as part of Operation Pascal-Lino 2024.
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