United Nations, Haitian police seize drugs

PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, Dec. 31 (UPI) -- A joint operation of the United Nations and the Haitian National Police busted a major drug smuggling operation in the country.

U.N. peacekeepers based in Haiti, called MINUSTAH, and national police forces raided three suspected sites, including an old unused nightclub operated by international criminal groups running an illicit drug trafficking operation in the country. The raid resulted in the confiscation of more than 110 pounds of cannabis, the United Nations reported.

"This old nightclub served as a base for traffickers," Jean-Marie Bourry, MINUSTAH director of police operations, said in a statement.

"This is the first time that MINUSTAH has carried out a special operation of this magnitude, bringing together so many people. It was a combination of helicopter, sea and land."