Cocaine Shark
Was Shipped From Puntarenas
The 870 packets of cocaine hidden inside a
shipment of frozen shark began its journey
in Puntarenas, Costa Rica, travelled through
the Panama Canal, where it was transferred
to another container ship, making stops in
US ports and finally detected during a
routine inspection in Mexico.
The drug was shipped in the bowels of 97
frozen shark that was purchased from various
local Puntarenas fishermen and shipped from
a dock in El Cocal de Puntarenas by a
Mexican national, Francisco Pozos Lepe.
Judicial officials say Costa Rican Sigifredo
Ceciliano told them that he had sold the 38
tons of shark to the Mexican, who appeared
like any other normal buyer and was paid by
bank wire transfer.
"We only sold them the product, we never
imagined what they were doing", Ceciliano
said.
The Mexican was known in the area and had
been in Costa Rica since late last year,
staying at various hotels in the fishing
port town, later renting the port from where
the shipment originated.
Judicial officials found tape and bags that
was used to pack the cocaine inside the
bowels of the frozen shark and followed up
on leads that led to several raids,
particularly the home of the secretary of
Tenería del Caribe Internacional S.A, the
company headed by Pozos.
Judicial officials also raided the home
rented by Pozos and a dock used for storing
the shark product that was contained in a
walk-in freezer.
OIJ officials commented that the operation
was very professional. The entire operation
was a "pamapara" - a smoke screen - for the
real operation of drug trafficking. |
