When they arrived at the place, they did not locate the boat’s crew so there were no detainees.
/ Drug Control Police courtesy photo.
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Police find stranded boat containing drugs at Isla Damas
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Officers from the Parrita* and Quepos* stations in Puntarenas met early on Thursday at Isla Damas* to investigate a stranded boat and several packages with drugs in the sand.
According to the police report, they received the support of officers of the National Coast Guard Service and officers of the Air Surveillance Service who conducted patrols by sea, waterways, and air to look for more drugs and the suspects responsible for the cargo.
In addition, they coordinated with officials of the Drug Control Police to carry out the seizure of the drugs.
"The boat is 38 feet long with two 200 hp. engines which carried several empty tanks and others with gasoline, as well as other empty containers, clothing, and tools," said the police in their report
When they arrived at the place, they did not locate the boat’s crew so there were no detainees.
With the help of the K-9 unit a bag was found that was hidden in banana and weed plants. The bag contained more drugs, 643 rectangular shaped packages filled with marijuana.
The search and seizure operation lasted for six hours. The boat was confiscated and transferred to the Coast Guard Station in Quepos, while the drug was confiscated as part of the case.
Agents of the Judicial Investigation Organization will continue with the investigation of the case
On Tuesday June 11, as A.M. Costa Rica reported, Police find ship stranded with 1,076 drug packages in Corcovado National Park*.
The Air Surveillance Police reported that
aerial surveillance spotted a stranded boat surrounded by some
suspicious packages on Thursday, June 6. The boat was in a sector of La Leona Beach*.
According
to the police report, the pilots observed several packages near the
boat, and alerted the Border Police, whose personnel located several
packages with drugs.
"For more than 48 hours, the officers worked
in the collection of packages thrown on the beach and near the rocks,
which were washed away by the waves," the police report said.
The
boat was found destroyed, as were the engines. In addition, 1,076
packages of drugs were found, 958 of them with marijuana and 118 with
cocaine.
The Air Surveillance Police had to use the helicopter to
carry out the extraction of the drugs, work that was hampered by bad
weather conditions and lack of space to land.
In addition,
officers detained two men, foreigners, apparently entering the country
illegality. They were near the area where the drugs were found. However,
the police could not link the two men with the cargo, so they were
taken to the immigration offices where they will be investigated to
determine their legal status.
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What can authorities do to keep Costa Rica territory from being used as a bridge for the transfer of drugs? We would
like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
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