'FISHY' MIAMI CARGO YIELDS COCAINE STASH

MIAMI (Reuters) - Customs inspectors at the Miami airport thought something
was fishy when no one turned up Monday to collect a shipment of fresh
grouper and tuna.

The inspectors subsequently found the shipment contained 2,720 pounds (1,236
kg) of cocaine that could be part of a drug conspiracy by Miami airport ramp
workers, Customs spokeswoman Norma Morfa said.

The cache was seized early Monday from an Arrow Air cargo plane that landed
at Miami International Airport from Guayaquil, Ecuador, shortly after 1
p.m., Morfa said.

Customs agents on routine duty met the plane and checked the cargo manifest,
which listed 50 boxes of fresh grouper, tuna and congrio.

"Our inspectors were around this shipment, waiting for somebody to pick up
the shipment of fish. It became suspicious because it's highly perishable
and Arrow Air does not have freezer containers," Morfa said.

Inspectors opened the boxes and found 22 of them contained bundles of
cocaine, she said.

"There is suspected airport employee conspiracy," Morfa said, but did not
elaborate.

Last week, federal authorities in Miami charged 58 American Airlines ramp
workers and food contractors with conspiring to smuggle what they believed
were cocaine, grenades and guns onto passenger planes at the Miami airport.

Arrow Air could not immediately be reached for comment.