Costa Rican aircraft with cocaine aboard found abandoned in Nicaragua after apparent crash

January 13^th, 2016 (ICR News) A Costa Rican aircraft, tail number TI-ATR, was found abandoned in a canal Wednesday near the small village of Los Lirios near Puerto Morazán in Nicaragua, with a load of cocaine onboard, according to initial reports by Costa Rican civil aviation authorities and Nicaraguan media outlets.

The aircraft had departed the Tobias Bolanos Airport in the San Jose suburb of Pavas and had a filed flight plan to Punta Islita, according to civil aviation authorities.

A distress beacon reportedly alerted authorities to the aircraft’s location in Nicaragua, where it apparently crashed.

Nicaraguan media quoted that country’s National Police as stating that witnesses reported at least two cargo or pickup trucks having been seen moving to and from the location of the downed aircraft, with some witnesses saying that at least two men were seen removing cargo from the aircraft.