Hapag-Lloyd has had a second containership caught up in a drug sting in South America in a little over two weeks
The drugs were reportedly found attached to the hull of the 9,230-teu Cautin (built 2014) in the Mexican port of Lazaro Cardenas.
Mexican authorities said 42 kilos of the drug were hidden in two suitcases attached to the ship’s hull below the waterline.
Reports say the Liberian-flagged vessel had arrived in Mexico having sailed from Buenaventura in Colombia.
“ This is the second time in less than a month that drugs were discovered attached to the hull of a ship that had sailed from Buenaventura,” said UK-based security consultancy Grey Page.
Costa Rican authorities found 47 kilos of cocaine below the waterline of the 1,819-teu container ship Cap Palmerston (built 2007) after it had arrived in Caldera from Buenaventura on January 13.
“Ship operators using Colombian ports should be aware that their ships may be targeted by drug-smugglers. Extra safeguards could include carrying out underwater inspections,” Gray Page added.
This is the second time Hapag-Lloyd has been caught up in a drug smuggling operation in South America in as many weeks.
In late January a gang of Colombian drug smugglers were arrested aboard the 4,800-teu Rotterdam Express (built 2000) at Cartagena.
Colombian security forces also seized about 185 kg of cocaine in a container destined for the US, but no more information was released due to pending investigations.
