News (Media Awareness Project) - US WA: More Than Two Tons Of Cocaine On Seized Fishing Boat |
| Title: | US WA: More Than Two Tons Of Cocaine On Seized Fishing Boat |
| Published On: | 2001-02-27 |
| Source: | Seattle Times (WA) |
| Fetched On: | 2008-01-26 22:55:33 |
MORE THAN TWO TONS OF COCAINE ON SEIZED FISHING BOAT
PORT ANGELES - A Canadian fishing boat reportedly carrying more than two
tons of cocaine has been intercepted and brought to this port on the
Olympic Peninsula.
Five Canadians were arrested and the vessel, the Western Wind, was taken to
the local Coast Guard station on Thursday.
The ship was boarded Wednesday night by Coast Guard officers, Royal
Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Grant Learned said from Vancouver, British
Columbia.
The 100-foot vessel is owned by a 64-share limited company with an address
in Victoria, British Columbia, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Port
Angeles, according to Transport Canada records.
Coast Guard Lt. Chris German in Seattle said Thursday night he could not
comment on the investigation.
KING-TV in Seattle quoted an unidentified federal source as saying the
trawler contained 101 packages of cocaine, each weighing 45 pounds. KING
also quoted an unidentified detective as saying the cargo had a street
value of $36 million.
That would make it one of the state's largest maritime drug seizures.
The Western Wind was intercepted after being spotted in the strait this
week by a U.S. Coast Guard plane.
"This vessel had been the subject of a coast watch alert a couple of months
ago," Learned said.
Coast watch is an RCMP program that encourages people who live along the
coast of the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island to report
suspicious activity.
An international alert was issued in December when the boat apparently left
Canadian waters.
Charges against the five Canadians were expected to be announced Friday.
They were not identified Thursday night.
Most of the large maritime drug-smuggling cases in the state have involved
marijuana.
On Dec. 1, 1997, the Coast Guard arrested three men and seized nearly 3,800
pounds of pot from a burning sailboat, the Ok Tedi, and an undetermined
additional amount was lost in the water about five miles off Neah Bay.
In one of the largest drug interceptions on the West Coast, 72 tons of
marijuana with an estimated street value of $280 was seized and 18 people
were arrested on June 30, 1988, aboard the Encounter Bay, a 188-foot
converted oil rig supply vessel, about 400 miles out to sea.
PORT ANGELES - A Canadian fishing boat reportedly carrying more than two
tons of cocaine has been intercepted and brought to this port on the
Olympic Peninsula.
Five Canadians were arrested and the vessel, the Western Wind, was taken to
the local Coast Guard station on Thursday.
The ship was boarded Wednesday night by Coast Guard officers, Royal
Canadian Mounted Police Cpl. Grant Learned said from Vancouver, British
Columbia.
The 100-foot vessel is owned by a 64-share limited company with an address
in Victoria, British Columbia, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca from Port
Angeles, according to Transport Canada records.
Coast Guard Lt. Chris German in Seattle said Thursday night he could not
comment on the investigation.
KING-TV in Seattle quoted an unidentified federal source as saying the
trawler contained 101 packages of cocaine, each weighing 45 pounds. KING
also quoted an unidentified detective as saying the cargo had a street
value of $36 million.
That would make it one of the state's largest maritime drug seizures.
The Western Wind was intercepted after being spotted in the strait this
week by a U.S. Coast Guard plane.
"This vessel had been the subject of a coast watch alert a couple of months
ago," Learned said.
Coast watch is an RCMP program that encourages people who live along the
coast of the British Columbia mainland and Vancouver Island to report
suspicious activity.
An international alert was issued in December when the boat apparently left
Canadian waters.
Charges against the five Canadians were expected to be announced Friday.
They were not identified Thursday night.
Most of the large maritime drug-smuggling cases in the state have involved
marijuana.
On Dec. 1, 1997, the Coast Guard arrested three men and seized nearly 3,800
pounds of pot from a burning sailboat, the Ok Tedi, and an undetermined
additional amount was lost in the water about five miles off Neah Bay.
In one of the largest drug interceptions on the West Coast, 72 tons of
marijuana with an estimated street value of $280 was seized and 18 people
were arrested on June 30, 1988, aboard the Encounter Bay, a 188-foot
converted oil rig supply vessel, about 400 miles out to sea.
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