REPORT: RACING TIED TO DRUG SMUGGLING

Customs officials are looking into allegations of a link between Formula One
racing and cocaine smuggling amid accusations that Grand Prix cars may have
been used to conceal drugs as they were transported around the world, the
Sunday Times of London reported.

Quoting mostly unidentified custom sources and police detectives, the
newspaper said customs officials were tipped off by an informant from the
motor racing world 18 months ago and recently began monitoring the movement
of Formula One personnel and equipment through the British port of Dover.

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone declined to comment, the newspaper said,
but an unidentified aide of Ecclestone was quoted as saying: "He did not
have any knowledge or evidence that individuals within F1 were doing
anything of the sort. If he had information or evidence he would have taken
it to the police."

The newspaper reported that an earlier investigation by Scotland Yard into
whether racing cars and their containers were used for cocaine smuggling
between South America and Europe was inconclusive. . . .

(snip)