177 kgs of cocaine found on cargo ship in Aichi port

177 kgs of cocaine found on cargo ship in Aichi port
Sep. 28 2019 https://japantoday.com/category/crime/177-kgs-of-cocaine-found-on-cargo-...

Police and Nagoya Customs officials said Friday that around 177 kilograms of cocaine were found on a cargo ship docked at Mikawa Bay in Aichi Prefecture's Toyohashi City on Aug 19.

The street value of the cocaine is estimated at 3.5 billion yen, police said. It is the largest drug seizure by Nagoya Customs, Fuji TV reported. It was packed in plastic bags and hidden in the engine room.

According to officials, the Panama-registered cargo ship is normally used to transport cars. Its last port of departure was in South America, officials said without elaborating.

Police and Nagoya Customs are currently investigating the ship's operators and the drug's intended distribution channels in Japan.