2 fishermen, Venezuelan woman held with cocaine

2962066

RADHICA DE SILVA

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T&T Coast Guard officers intercepted a boat and arrested two local fishermen and a Venezuelan woman for cocaine possession on Tuesday.

Investigators said around 9.35 am, T&T Coast Guard Petty Officer Bridgeman, in the company of other officers, were on patrol off the coast of Icacos when they saw a boat named Mahalia coming into territorial waters.

They intercepted the vessel, which was occupied by a 30-year-old man of Cap-de-Ville, a 54-year-old fisherman of Southern Gardens, Point Fortin and a 36-year-old woman of Tucupita, Venezuela.

When the officers checked the boat they found five rectangular objects wrapped in black plastic and yellow tape. When they opened the packages, they contained a white powder resembling cocaine.The packages weighed 5.6 kilos in total.

The three occupants were taken to the Point Fortin Area Hospital where they were medically examined. They were then sent for quarantine and are expected to be charged with cocaine possession.