The crew of the Bulgarian "Verila" ship, which is owned by the "Bulgarian Navy" shipping company and was detained in the Irish port of Foynes, will be questioned in the coming days, the media in the Republic of Ireland reported.
The vessel was detained at Foynes on December 19 shortly after docking. Then the special operation of police forces, representatives of the anti-narcotics service and customs officers began, the Irish Times reported. The inspections continued on December 20.
According to the release, at least 300kg to 500kg of high-grade cocaine, packed in a bale with a GPS beacon, was found on board the vessel, which is believed to have been thrown overboard and picked up by another vessel. The drug is valued at between 20 and 35 million euros, but when diluted and sold "retail", the drug is valued at between 60 and 105 million euros. The minimum price of the drug is 70,000 euros per kilogram, according to the police.
In Foynes, the ship has arrived from Montreal, the marine traffic system indicates. "Verilla" sailed from Canada on December 9. According to Irish media reports, the country of origin of the drug found is likely to be Brazil.
No charges have yet been laid, but the crew remain in Ireland for questioning as part of the investigation.
The crew of "Verila" is 11 members, consisting of Bulgarians and a Ukrainian.
Most of the sailors did not know about the drug and were not involved in the smuggling, the Irish Times reported, citing police sources. The cocaine was distributed in packages in waterproof bags between lifeboats. The bags also contained GPS beacons. That is why it is assumed that people from the crew are complicit in the trafficking of cocaine.
The company has not yet been officially notified by local Irish authorities of the inspection. No information has been submitted that crew members are complicit, the director of the Bulgarian Navy, Alexander Kalchev, explained earlier. According to him, this is a serious crime and a serious violation of Bulgarian Navy procedures.
"Verila" is one of the newest ships of the BMF, it was built in 2022 and sails under the flag of Malta. /BGNES
