An investigation has begun after drugs were found on a yacht on board a Dutch heavy-lift vessel in Mexico.
More than 200 kg of cocaine were seized after the 18,100-dwt Happy Dover (built 2011) arrived at Ensenada on Thursday, the Zeta website reported.
The operation was carried out by the Office of the Attorney General and the navy following a report by customs officers.
The vessel was carrying several luxury yachts. It had left Costa Rica earlier in November.
The drugs were found in packets. The narcotics have been moved to a holding facility in Tijuana.
Probe begins
Federal police started an investigation on Friday.
Operator BigLift Shipping told TradeWinds that the contraband was found on a yacht, rather than on the cargo vessel. The find was made after the yacht had been unloaded on 12 November.
"A search was held on board the Happy Dover by federal investigation officers on 13 November," the company added.
"No drugs nor any illegal object were found on board the Happy Dover. The search has been carried out in a professional manner with full cooperation of the crew," BigLift added.
Happy Dover has been detained until investigations by the local authorities have been completed.
This is the first reported drugs find on a merchant vessel since 23 October, when more cocaine was discovered in the hold of a general cargoship that was at the centre of a bust in Brazil three weeks before.
A further 1,200 kg of the drug was discovered in millet on the 9,800-dwt Unispirit (built 2006) at Las Palmas in the Canary Islands.
Brazilian police discovered 1,524 kg of cocaine in its hold in Sao Sebastiao on 2 October.
It is unclear whether the second find was missed in Brazil. The illegal consignment was found in 8,000 packets.
