Four Brazilian drug smugglers were apprehended by French authorities at the port of Marseilles for trafficking 95 kilograms of cocaine. Disguised as tourists aboard the cruise ship “COSTA FAVOLOSA,” the individuals were aged between 26 and 31.
The vessel had embarked from Savona, Italy, and had a scheduled stop in France before continuing its journey to Morocco.
On May 2nd, while conducting routine bag checks for passengers disembarking, authorities at the port of Marseilles grew suspicious of a couple posing as travelers. Their attention was drawn to the couple’s unusually large bag, intended for a brief excursion onshore during the port call.
Upon realizing that their bags were subject to inspection, the couple hastily retreated back onto the ship. Later, the woman reappeared, carrying a small bag. When approached by the authorities, she impulsively threw the bag over the rail and into the harbor.
The bag was promptly recovered, yielding 8.4 kilograms of cocaine. This discovery provided sufficient grounds for the authorities to search the woman’s cabin. The search uncovered additional information about two other smugglers and revealed that a Brazilian drug cartel had orchestrated the operation, covering the expenses for the cabins and the smugglers’ needs. In one of the cabins, a suitcase containing 86.4 kilograms of cocaine was found, bringing the total confiscated amount to 95 kilograms, with an estimated value of approximately $5 million.
Further investigation by the police revealed that two of the smugglers had already transported an undisclosed quantity of cocaine to an Airbnb apartment before being apprehended. Unfortunately, by the time the authorities arrived at the location, the suitcase had disappeared, although the suspects were eventually tracked down and arrested.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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