The Bulgarian ship "Verila" was transporting drugs worth at least €20 million, Irish media wrote
The authorities in Ireland have not yet informed the Navigation Maritime Bulgare about the detention of the ship "Verila" on suspicion of drug trafficking.
The vessel has been in the Irish port of Shannon Foynes since Tuesday evening. According to unofficial information, more than 300 kg of cocaine were found on board.
The crew consists of 18 members: 17 Bulgarians and one Ukrainian.
The ship was supposed to be carrying grain from Canada to Ireland. However, according to one of the marine navigation sites, the ship "Verila" first sailed from Brazil.
A large amount of cocaine worth at least 20 million euros was found in a cargo ship at the port of Shannon Foynes in the Irish city of Limerick, "Irish Times" reported. The operation is against the ship "Verila" registered in Valletta, Malta. The website "Maritime Executive" specifies that it is owned by the Navigation Maritime Bulgare.
Irish police and tax officials searched the ship on Tuesday evening after it docked at the port at 10.30 am that day. According to the Irish newspaper, the operation found between 300 and 500 kg of cocaine on board the ship. Based on police data, according to which a kg of the drug sells for 70 thousand euros, the publication estimates that the value of the cargo is between 30 and 35 million euros, and after distribution by dealers, the value of the shipment can reach even 60 and 100 million euros. An examination is pending, but it is believed that the drugs are likely to be of high purity and that the traffickers intended to add impurities to them.
The drugs were in the packages, each one wrapped in life jackets to keep them from sinking, and had a GPS transmitter. Irish police suspect the cocaine would have been thrown overboard at some point to be picked up by a smaller boat coming from shore. Officially, the 20-tonne ship was supposed to be carrying grain. It sailed from a port in Canada on December 9 before arriving in Ireland.
The special operation on the case continues. An investigation is underway on suspicion of drug trafficking.
In September, Irish authorities seized 2,000 kg of cocaine, worth €157 million, the largest drug seizure in the country's history. They were found aboard the cargo ship Matthew.
The Limerick Post quoted independent councilor Emmett O'Brien as saying that the government had known since 2018 that the estuary from Kerry to Limerick was literally awash with cocaine, but had so far ignored repeated warnings. The media did not reach the Minister of Justice for comment.
There is still no contact with the crew of the Verila, which is detained in an Irish port. This was reported to BNT by the director of the Navigation Maritime Bulgare, Captain Alexander Kalchev.
"So far we have no official information from the authorities in Ireland. What we are learning is from our agent, who is also not familiar with the details of the situation, he is just a witness and from the media. As far as I am informed, there is an operation to search the ship on suspicion of drug trafficking, in which crew members are involved. I personally hope that the guilty persons will be revealed as quickly as possible," commented Alexander Kalchev, Executive Director of Navigation Maritime Bulgare.
