Äike
11-26-2010, 12:31 PM
Customs Sniff Out Record Cocaine Shipment (http://news.err.ee/6afc1290-1f14-4bd3-8bb2-370bff4a785e)
http://ext.err.ee/imgen2.aspx?mode=25&id=6afc1290-1f14-4bd3-8bb2-370bff4a785e
Photo: Courtesy Tax and Customs Board
The Tax and Customs Board have announced that in October they seized a 47.81 kilogram shipment of pure cocaine, the largest ever found in the nation. Three suspects have been detained and charged in connection with the haul, while a fourth remains at large.
"This is the biggest quantity of cocaine seized in Estonia's history," state prosecutor Helga Aadamsoo was quoted by rus.err.ee as saying. She said that the amount was enough to get 5 million people intoxicated.
Rene Kanniste, head of the Tax and Customs investigation unit, said that the cocaine was hidden in an air shipment of coffee that arrived from Venezuela, and had an estimated street value of over 6.4 million euros.
According to the State Prosecutor, two of the suspects are Estonian citizens, while the other two are citizens of “other countries.” If convicted they face sentences ranging from six years to life in prison.
Before this haul, Estonia's largest cocaine bust was in 2005 when a 43.1 kg of the drug was found hidden in a large cog wheel shipped from Peru. In that case three Israeli citizens were convicted and received sentences of nine, 11 and 15 years.
http://ext.err.ee/imgen2.aspx?mode=25&id=6afc1290-1f14-4bd3-8bb2-370bff4a785e
Photo: Courtesy Tax and Customs Board
The Tax and Customs Board have announced that in October they seized a 47.81 kilogram shipment of pure cocaine, the largest ever found in the nation. Three suspects have been detained and charged in connection with the haul, while a fourth remains at large.
"This is the biggest quantity of cocaine seized in Estonia's history," state prosecutor Helga Aadamsoo was quoted by rus.err.ee as saying. She said that the amount was enough to get 5 million people intoxicated.
Rene Kanniste, head of the Tax and Customs investigation unit, said that the cocaine was hidden in an air shipment of coffee that arrived from Venezuela, and had an estimated street value of over 6.4 million euros.
According to the State Prosecutor, two of the suspects are Estonian citizens, while the other two are citizens of “other countries.” If convicted they face sentences ranging from six years to life in prison.
Before this haul, Estonia's largest cocaine bust was in 2005 when a 43.1 kg of the drug was found hidden in a large cog wheel shipped from Peru. In that case three Israeli citizens were convicted and received sentences of nine, 11 and 15 years.