A large amount of cocaine seized at the Port of Koper - information from the joint press conference of the Monday, 09 June :00

Transcription

1 At today's press conference, organised by the General Police Directorate and the Customs Office of the RS in cooperation with the Croatian Police, which was held at the headquarters of the Croatian Police in Zagreb, Aleksander Jevšek, Director of the Criminal Police Directorate (CPD); Dušan Rajgelj, Sector for Investigation, General Customs Directorate; and Ivan Nadž, Deputy General Director of the Croatian Police, presented the operations for seizing a large amount of the illicit drug cocaine at the port of Koper. According to their statements, on 2 June 2008, following a previous risk analysis at the Port of Koper, the officers of the Koper Customs Office located and inspected a container which had arrived at the port by cargo ship from Colombia. It contained declared legal goods - a press and compressors addressed to a Croatian customer. The inspection of the shipment carried out by the customs officers revealed that the hydraulic oil reservoir contained a suspicious white 1 / 6

2 substance mixed with solvents, with a gross weight of kg. On the grounds of suspicion of the presence of the illicit drug among the mixture of solvents, the Koper Criminal Police Department entered the investigation. Preliminary tests performed on the mixture gave reason to suspect that it contained dissolved cocaine. The competent state prosecutor of the Koper District State Prosecutor's Office and the competent investigating judge of the Koper District Court were informed of the detection of the illicit drug. The suspicious liquid, namely the mixture of solvents and cocaine, was pumped from the tank into barrels and transported to the Forensic Science Centre at the General Police Directorate, where the substance is being analysed. In all, kg of liquid and kg of a thick white substance were pumped from the hydraulic oil reservoir. According to the assessment of Forensic Science Centre experts, the described mixture of solvents contains between 80 and 100 kg of dissolved cocaine. The precise quantity will be revealed after the expert analysis has been concluded. 2 / 6

3 The Croatia District informed of legislation, investigating Zagreb being inspection State may involved of as they be a judge Prosecutor's result of findings. involved were the of the of documentation detained the a smuggling On coordinated County Office, 6 June and Court the of the 2008, of the Croatian international cocaine. following of the seized Zagreb, two above security Croatian By cocaine. day shipment way who police brought and of ordered citizens, In action. the judicial compliance revealed to instructions custody the aged Both authorities hearing that are 40 with for issued and reasonably both. company before Croatian 38, have by were the been from suspected arrested Koper 3 / 6

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5 Price On and drug, seized in kilogram "wholesale" the 45,000. reaches of Slovenian at of the cocaine The Port EUR and retail on illegal around of 60 usually the Koper selling on market, illegal average. EUR ranges amounts price 5 market the million for between On price Slovenian the to "retail". per between basis EUR kilogram In of cocaine 30,000 these EUR of European 4 cocaine and consumers, prices, and 50, the Union, ranges million value i.e. the between per of price gram the cocaine for EUR of one the 40,000 illicit 5 / 6

6 Similar In Slovenian container Netherlands. was Statistics August case 2007, of a drug similar trafficking case cocaine from 2007 particularly - rising operating sealed was trend Criminal from in first The 2,140 4,670 41, sent data in five packets, inspection the Police from known Netherlands, g months g of quantity of Ecuador cocaine concealed to cooperation revealed of date of 2008, seized through partly indicate were among 2, ,125 also seized cocaine with smuggling the that directly legal kg the Port g of since officers customs cocaine, cocaine from was Koper, 2005 is of dealt Spain, smuggled goods. were the which addressed is with distinct: Koper through seized was and from Customs then investigated Italy. a recipient seized. Benelux Office. The by in countries, AThe the drug General Colombia, Spain, Cocaine Liberia, vessels further Europe exceeding performed were kg). Verde Smuggling as route corridor Islands. cocaine quantities carrying Canary The non-existing operations, police complex A Colombians Togo. organisers Criminal well. Netherlands. are number cooperation well. Spanish involved European smuggling problems The executed kilograms. of Colombian forces. 1,300 Islands Côte The more communities smuggling seizure investigations information exchange of possible. loaded Venezuela, 2,500 provide of groups Netherlands, illegal fishing South are route police thus sailing criminal kg. d'ivoire, cocaine crew There than related between Union mostly connected northern South kilograms supervised smuggled criminal Brazilian towards from immigration passes America. smuggling Galicia vessels generally control 2500 from ships Within of cocaine several Ghana, Iberian of Brazilian a Ecuador, mother are American. lack Brazil, South Great kg carry coastal communities between delivery Spain amounted this criminal not sailing are to second police of discovery The Mediterranean consists Africa, by countries. smuggling Peninsula. of Togo, and ships established territory, Britain, involved European America Lebanon discharged anticipation cocaine Latin Brazil, arms detected (by nationals zones and from which of smuggling The the largest communities, difficult etc. amount ship sailing cocaine to American from of customs France also French the are Cape quantity It 1,700 cocaine for nationals via of The the smuggling smuggle and of or flags, shipments such global Antilles against Portugal the connected of ecstasy cooperation difficult from skills Sea appear. Africa plane). cocaine: territory most Nigeria Verde of warehouses Mexico, kg, and Riviera EU, approximately offices and smuggling Panama technical is (TITIBAT South market from cocaine passes African frequently smuggled criminal Italy. which to Europe, takes from and towards the Gibraltar The indicate form find Spain, and African the Argentina. America operate crew with Galicia. and Africa, discharging they devices, places Senegal, nationals, - reliable part from Cape activities. Canary communities cocaine. 2,434 ignoring the African used Morocco, to that 1, trade of countries, are South of Mexican within sailing and French The Verde. the kg, quantities contact European It kg; means Islands the often Belgium Guinea, kg, is for Cocaine along countries comprehensive The new cooperation seizures ranges YKNOT cartels. however, America smuggled the African ships Senegal, cocaine. Riviera Intersection the criminal while discharging routes persons of territory with has operations Africa. and Sierra sometimes transport following: origin between across comes The south and of ignoring coast. been are those sailing - and shipments into Ghana Madeira communities. network Colombian BALULA done of within Leone, prepared The linked. of the and detected difficulties The Paraguay, of from is well. of 400 Cape limited ships them Canary and on fishing EU their as The and 833 for via or 6 / 6