Turkish Authorities Seize 350kg of Cocaine from Bulk Carrier

Turkish authorities have seized approximately 350 kg of cocaine from a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, the CSPC Pisces, during an operation at Mersin Port.

Acting on intelligence, officials discovered the drugs concealed below the vessel’s waterline using a sophisticated method designed to hide the packages within the ship’s structure.

Authorities said they had received information indicating that a shipment of cocaine was expected to arrive at Mersin Port from South America. Police and prosecutors subsequently began focusing their investigation on vessels arriving from the region.

Their inquiries eventually led them to CSPC Pisces. The vessel had sailed from Brazil and called at Tarragona before reaching Mersin Port on September 11.

The cocaine was discovered inside the vessel’s sea chest, which forms part of the seawater intake system used to help cool the ship’s machinery. Officials found 12 packages attached to the vessel’s hull underwater. The drugs had been placed inside waterproof packaging to protect them during the voyage. The packages contained a total of approximately 350 kg of cocaine, which authorities estimate has a value of around $31 million.

Nine suspects have been arrested in connection with the case, and the investigation remains ongoing.

The smuggling technique is believed to involve divers placing sealed packages inside a vessel’s sea chest or other parts of the underwater hull structure while the ship is at its departure port. The vessel then makes its voyage as normal before another team equipped with diving gear retrieves the concealed packages after it reaches its destination. With this method, members of the ship’s crew may have no knowledge that drugs have been hidden aboard the vessel.