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South Korea seizes 140 pounds of cocaine on a container ship

By Wooyoung Lee
A general view shows a cruise port in the southeastern port city of Busan, South Korea, on Sept. 18, 2018. Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
A general view shows a cruise port in the southeastern port city of Busan, South Korea, on Sept. 18, 2018. Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE

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.

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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.

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