Not less than 10 passengers were found carrying cocaine, an overall 54 kgs of cocaine, when they were intercepted aboard the MSC SEASIDE in Valencia, Spain. Spain’s National Law enforcement agency conducted the check. In another instance, a Brazilian couple was apprehended on the same vessel on April 4th in Marseilles carrying 12kg’s cocaine.
The detainees have revealed several inner workings of this operation. The couple caught in Marseilles reported that they were aware of other fake couples smuggling contraband aboard the vessel. However, they said they were not aware that they were explicitly carrying cocaine. They also stated that the trip would net them around 6,000-7,000 Euros each. The 10 detainees apprehended in Valencia are found to be affiliated with two different smuggling rings. It has not been clear if the two smuggling rings were cooperating or if the two coincidentally chose the same vessel. The two teams were taking the drugs to separate destinations. One was headed to Madrid and the other to Lisbon.
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The MSC SEASIDE arrived at the port of Valencia from the port of Santos, which is a notorious hub for cocaine smuggling activities. According to Insight Crime, the drug trade in Santos is primarily controlled by Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) gang, which has extensively infiltrated the region and has connections for transporting drugs through Paraguay into Brazil, from where it is sent across the world.
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