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11 Russian sailors, detained in Cape Verde on suspicion of smuggling of 9.5 tons of cocaine

Policia Judiciária

The Embassy did not specify what punishment can threaten the Russians as “still do not know what happened, who to blame for what happened. But the accusation of a very serious international drug trafficking”. Measure sailors will elect the court, and then start investigations

Policia Judiciária

Detained ship will be in port of Praia under the protection of the judicial police of Cape Verde, until the authorities decide to remove the protection

Policia Judiciária

Eleven Russian sailors, including the captain, detained in the port of the capital of Cape Verde, Praia, on suspicion of drug smuggling, according to RIA Novosti and TASS, citing the Russian Embassy in the Republic. “We are talking about 9 tons of cocaine,” – said the source TASS, adding that the incident occurred on January 31.

According to the publication Maritime Bulletin (“Maritime Bulletin”), on Board of the ship ESER, EN route from Panama under the flag of this country in Morocco, found 9.5 tons of cocaine. The cargo ship made an emergency stop in Praia after the death of one of the crew members for an unknown reason.

This information was confirmed by the judicial police of Cape Verde, it is noted that the police already knew that the ship could be drugs.

It was said that on Board the ship were 260 bales, the contents of which, according to the results of the rapid test turned out to be cocaine. Prices on the black market its value – if it were clandestinely sold at “street” prices may exceed $ 1.5 billion, writes Russian service of the BBC.

On the website of the criminal police in Cape Verde published photos and on the YouTube channel – a report on detention. It clarifies that it is the largest seizure of drugs in Guinea-Bissau and one of the largest in the world.

The Federal police added that it had received information about the vessel from the center of the MAOC (N), which is coordinating anti-narcotics activities in seven EU countries, with headquarters in London. The operation also participated in the Portuguese and French militiamen.

The Embassy of the Russian Federation does not report the death of a crew member. According to diplomats, the status of detained seafarers is estimated as normal. “The detainees are in order. Treat them normally, the conditions are normal, any offences not seen by us. No one is sick, all in good health but a little tired. They’re not in jail,” – said the source TASS on Friday night.

He noted that the crew at any time of the day allowed representatives of the diplomatic mission. “If anything, we are always close. The authorities of Guinea-Bissau satisfy all our requests and petitions,” – said the Agency interlocutor. He added that local law enforcement “behaving very correctly and listen to the requests of the detained Russians”.

“We will be in close contact with all the Russians detained and the investigating authorities of Guinea-Bissau, regardless of day of week and time of day,” – said the diplomat. The trial of the sailors, according to preliminary data, will take place on Saturday.

The Embassy did not specify what punishment can threaten the Russians as “still do not know what happened, who to blame for what happened. But the accusation of a very serious international drug trafficking”. Measure sailors will elect the court, and then start investigations. About the crew reaction to the charges against them are not reported.

“We rendered every assistance within our competence, check on whether there are any violations on the part of the investigating authorities of Cape Verde. In addition, conduct the necessary talks and negotiations with the competent authorities of Guinea-Bissau on the subject of impartial, attentive, and professional investigation,” – said the diplomat.

Detained ship will be in port of Praia under the protection of the judicial police of Cape Verde, until the authorities decide to remove the protection.

No chance of acquittal

Captain Alexey Malafeev in an interview with National news service expressed the view that the Russians have “no chance to be justified”.

“There should be an investigation, it shows their attitude to this load. They all fall into drug smuggling. It’s a very long race because you need to understand who took the cargo on Board. If this is the only load, the required documents, who painted, and so on. After all, 9.5 tons of cocaine just because the Board will not take – navel unleash,” said the captain.

Bruno also explained why on a ship under the Panamanian flag was a Russian crew. “The ship is registered in Panama, and the crew can be any. There are firms who recruit sailors. Accordingly, the person has permission to work on certain courts, they can get anywhere. This is done from the point of view of cheapening the cost of the crew,” said the captain.

“Coke thing”

The detention of Russian citizens in Guinea-Bissau was forced once again to recall the loud “cocaine”, which uncovered the relationship of the representative of the Russian Federation abroad with drug trafficking. At the beginning of 2018, the scandal erupted around the Russian Embassy in Argentina, in the school at which was hidden in 12 suitcases with 389 kilograms of cocaine.

The suitcases belonged to a former employee of the Embassy Ali Abyanova, due to the dismissal which the drug traffickers and is having problems with the transportation of cargo, with the result that he had lain untouched for about a year. The British Telegraph wrote that the suitcases Abanova accompanied during the visit by the head of security Council of Russia Nikolai Patrushev.

As told the Russian Ambassador in Argentina Victor koronelli, drugs were found by the caretaker of the Russian Embassy. Argentine media reported that the cocaine was planned to transport to Russia by diplomatic mail, but the official representative of the Russian foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova denied it.

The investigation into the “cocaine business” lasted more than a year. He was arrested six people: a police officer from Buenos Aires Ivan Bliznyuk and mechanic Alexander Chica in Argentina, businessman Andrei Kovalchuk, who is considered the organizer of the cocaine, in Germany, Abanov, businessmen Vladimir Kalmykov and Istimer Khudzhamov in Russia. In August 2018 pravoohranitelnye authorities of Argentina has seized cocaine burned in the crematorium at the cemetery.