CHEMSTAR SAPPHIRE

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200 kilos cocaine found in trunk

200 kilos of cocaine were found aboard the 'Chemstar Sapphire' after its arrival in the port of Melbourne on Aug 23, 2023. The tanker had left the port of Quequén, in the province of Buenos Aires, on July 5 with a cargo of 6,500 tons of sunflower oil on board. The drug was transported hidden in the pipes of the tanker. The Police found the cocaine after the security forces decided to inspect the ship with a submarine. A suspicious accessory was identified in the so-called "trunk" area of the tanker. The 200 kilos of cocaine seized have an estimated value of US$50 million, which represents about US$80 million of the Australian currency. Apart from seizing the transported cocaine, there were no arrests and the ship continued sailing. The Australian Federal Police continued the investigation which aimed to determine where the 200 kilos of drugs were loaded.