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Marijuana worth over $14m seized in Gulf of Paria

Over $14million worth of marijuana was seized and three men arrested after a fishing vessel was intercepted during an early morning exercise yesterday.

Police reports indicate that around 3:30 am yesterday, June 6th, 2023, a Customs and Excise vessel was on patrol in the Gulf of Paria, when the officers observed a fishing vessel with three men on board, who were acting in a suspicious manner. The Customs officials intercepted the fishing vessel, detained the three men and the vessel was escorted to Hart’s Cut Bay, Chaguaramas, where it was docked.

Officers of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) who arrived on the scene,conducted an extensive search of the vessel, where they found 295 packages containing marijuana. Crime Scene Investigation (C.S.I.) personnel of Western Division visited the scene and photographed the illegal narcotics, which when weighed amounted to 158.54 kilograms, with a street value of $14,251,542.

The three suspects, one Venezuelan and two men from Claxton Bay were taken into police custody.