Chinese officials, with help from US authorities, have seized 70 kg of Cocaine in Shanghai, one of the largest haul of the contraband confiscated in China in recent years.
In August, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) tipped off Chinese officials that a container departing from Peru and moving through Mexico was highly suspected of containing drugs, the Ministry of Public Security here said today.
By analysing phone messages and emails of a Mexican drug cartel member who had been murdered, the DEA said the container would arrive in the eastern port city of Shanghai on August 18, from where it would be put on board a ship destined for New Zealand.
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Shanghai police and customs officers searched the ship upon its arrival and found 70 kilogrammes of cocaine, the largest amount recovered by Chinese police in a single case in recent years, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The case is being further investigated by the Shanghai customs authority.
Cases of cocaine entering China from South America have been on the rise, said the ministry.
The ministry said it has in recent years strengthened cooperation with foreign agencies including the DEA, and the efforts have apparently paid off.