Bulk Carrier Cook Arrested After Nearly Half-Ton Cocaine Seized In Argentina

Authorities in Argentina have uncovered nearly half a ton of high-purity cocaine hidden aboard a cargo vessel preparing to sail to Amsterdam, arresting the ship’s cook after he confessed to being involved in the smuggling plot.

On April 29, just as the bulk carrier Ceci was getting ready to leave the port of San Lorenzo, the ship’s captain reported suspicious packages stored in the cold food storage room.

This alert led to a large-scale inspection involving Argentine law enforcement, sniffer dogs, the Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF), and the coast guard.

The vessel was carrying 46,000 tons of pressed sunflower seeds and was bound for Amsterdam via Montevideo.

Authorities found 469.5 kilograms of cocaine hidden in refrigerators and changing rooms, alongside regular crew provisions. The drugs were packed in 16 watertight bundles containing 379 individual cocaine bricks.

Each package had been sealed tightly with multiple layers to protect against water damage, and they were marked with crown symbols, suggesting cartel involvement, according to law enforcement sources quoted in Argentine media.

The Ceci, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, is managed by a Greek company and had arrived in Argentina after travelling from the United Arab Emirates and the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini.

The ship anchored in Montevideo, Uruguay, from April 20 to April 24 before docking in San Lorenzo on April 25 to load grain for export.

Per reports, the vessel’s captain, during a routine inspection on the night of April 29, noticed the hidden cargo and informed the shipping company. The company reported the issue to the Financial Intelligence Unit, leading to a quick operation with sniffer dogs and detailed searches.

GPS devices, ropes, and nets were also recovered- items authorities believe were to be used for transferring the drugs overboard to be retrieved later by accomplices.

The cocaine seized is valued at roughly $6 million in Argentina, but its price could have soared to at least €20 million had it reached Europe.

Officials stated that the professional nature of the smuggling effort, the packaging method, and the logistics pointed to the involvement of an organised crime network.

Investigators are currently working to identify the group behind the operation and determine whether a new drug cartel leader is emerging.

The Argentine Minister of Security, Patricia Bullrich, praised the operation on social media, calling it a “knock-out against organised crime” and part of Argentina’s ongoing fight against drug trafficking.

She also linked the government’s tough stance to the broader anti-gang model seen in El Salvador, led by President Nayib Bukele.

Bullrich also confirmed that this was the largest river-based drug seizure in the history of San Lorenzo port.

According to a government statement, the operation was coordinated by the Ministry of National Security, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Argentine Naval Prefecture, the General Directorate of Customs, and the regional UIF office in Rosario.

After the discovery, all 20 Filipino crew members were detained and questioned.

Investigators placed the ship’s cook, Jonathan Caputero, in pretrial detention after he admitted that he was involved in hiding the cocaine. His phone was confiscated for further examination, and the vessel remains held at the port as investigations continue.

According to Argentine media reports, Caputero told police that another ship had originally been selected for the drug operation, but plans were changed. He also claimed that more drugs were meant to be loaded at San Lorenzo, but that never happened.

He added that the cocaine was possibly brought onboard while the vessel was anchored in Montevideo, though investigators remain sceptical, especially since the ship was inbound at the time.

Police are now reviewing surveillance footage from the port and examining all possible methods by which the drugs could have been smuggled onboard.

Authorities believe the bales might have been transferred from a small boat alongside the ship, hidden among supply deliveries or hoisted aboard using ropes.

Traces of saltwater found on the bundles support the theory that the packages may have come from sea-based drop-offs.

Law enforcement sources told local newspapers that cartels often target low-level seafarers with financial troubles, recruiting them to assist in covert smuggling operations in exchange for payment.

Officials from various departments, including the Financial Intelligence Unit president Paul Starc, federal prosecutor Dr. Claudio Kishimoto, and high-ranking customs and naval prefecture authorities, were involved in the operation. Bullrich also stated that Argentina has already seized over 3,600 kilograms of cocaine this year.

Reference: nltimes

Source: Maritime Shipping News