Three arrested in
another drug bust
PHILIPSBURG--Coast Guard and Customs officers on Monday arrested three drug smugglers a few miles off the coast of Saba attempting to smuggle cocaine into the Windward Islands, three days after authorities had stopped nearly 500kg of the drug from reaching St. Maarten.
A total of 20kg of cocaine was confiscated in this second drug bust for June, said Windward Islands Customs Head Anthony Doran Monday afternoon. Authorities have not yet been able to determine whether this bust was in any way related to the shipment of drugs that was intercepted in Great Bay on Friday.
The smugglers started tossing containers of cocaine overboard when they spotted an approaching Dutch military ship carrying Royal Dutch Marines, Coast Guard and Customs officers, but were caught and taken into custody. Coast Guard swimmers managed to fish much of the drugs from the waters surrounding the boat, and a helicopter was used to search the area for more cocaine.
The smugglers were arrested and their boat Ikimoa was seized and brought ashore for the investigation.
Doran said authorities were questioning the suspects to determine the link, if any, to the capture of more than 480kg of drugs in Great Bay last week. Three other suspects were arrested at that time. “At this moment, I don’t know if it can be linked to Friday,” said Doran, still refusing to reveal the final amount of drugs seized on Friday.
