South Korea seizes 140 pounds of cocaine on a container ship

SEOUL, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- South Korean authorities have seized more than 140 pounds of cocaine smuggled aboard a container ship.

Busan Main Customs said Monday that officers discovered a bag, containing taped packages with a total weight of approximately 140 pounds of cocaine and a potential value of $168, Yonhap News reported.

The container was first shipped on Oct. 17 in Ecuador, stopped by Mexico and docked at a port in the southern port city of Busan on Nov. 14. It was scheduled to arrive in China on Nov. 20.

The South Korean officials acted on a tip-off from Mexican authorities.

"The discovery was possible thanks to cooperation with the Mexican customs office," said Yang Seung-gwon, chief of Busan Main Customs, in the Yonhap News report.

The cocaine is reported to be the largest amount that the Busan office has ever detected.