25 kilos of cocaine found in Panama ship berthed in Çanakkale province

ÇANAKKALE – Demirören News Agency

The anti-narcotics division of the Turkish police and the coast guard seized 25 kilos of cocaine on Aug. 22 in a joint operation inspecting bulk carrier Frontier Falcon sailing under the Panama flag in the province of Çanakkale.

Police detained seven people, including two captains of the ship, which is stationed at Çanakkale port on Aug. 19, on arrival from Colombia.

Security units searched the carrier and found a box attached to the hull in the aft section. Divers are deployed to conduct a thorough Hull inspection of the bulk carrier.

According to an official statement, seven crew members, including the Filipino captain were detained as they were allegedly caught in the act of procuring the packages from a box. The involvement of the crew, including captain and senior officers, has not yet been confirmed.

Officials said the market price of cocaine is around 50 million Turkish Liras ($6.8 million).