/ 26 October 2006

Massive cocaine haul washes up on Iberian beaches

More than 600kg of cocaine of unknown origin has washed up on Portuguese and Spanish beaches in the past month, the Lusa news agency reported on Thursday, quoting a Portuguese navy spokesperson.

About 30 packages of 22kg each have been found by the two countries’ navies, Commander Bras e Melo said, adding that they were thought to have been thrown overboard by drug-smugglers who panicked.

In an unrelated case, Portuguese police said they had arrested five Spaniards near the southern town of Evora and seized 9kg of cocaine destined for the Spanish market.

They said the drug had been flown into Portugal from Colombia or Bolivia by a ring operating out of Brazil. — Sapa-AFP