400 Kg of Cocaine Seized aboard Boxship in Colombia

A cargo of 400 kilograms of cocaine has been seized aboard the Italy-flagged containership Cala Palma by the Colombian naval and police units, according to information provided by the country’s navy.

The illicit cargo was found in one of the containers on board the 2000-built reefer, managed by the Netherlands-based Seatrade Shipmanagement, during an inspection conducted on April 18 in the port of Turbo, Colombia.

The cocaine, which was packed in 400 rectangular packages in 16 bundles, was estimated to be worth around USD 13 million.

Seatrade informed that the 16,024 dwt Cala Palma was soon cleared by authorities and allowed to continue its voyage to the port of to Moin, Costa Rica.

According to AIS data provided by MarineTraffic, the ship’s final destination is Portugal’s port of Lisboa.

Seatrade said that it “is fully cooperating with the relevant authorities investigating this incident.”

World Maritime News Staff