Pubdate: Sat, 26 Aug 2000 Source: Star, The (Malaysia) Copyright: 2000 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd. Contact: 13 Jalan 13/6, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Malaysia Website: http://www.thestar.com.my VENEZUELAN COCAINE HAUL RISES TO RM3.04B UPATA (Venezuela): Venezuelan officials have unearthed another 2.5 tonnes of cocaine in a raid on an isolated farm, bringing the total haul in a week-long operation to nearly 10 tonnes worth more than US$800mil (RM3.04bil) on the streets of Europe, officials said on Thursday. National Guard officials said the new haul was the third in a series of drug busts that have seen about 20 people arrested from a ring dedicated to smuggling Colombian cocaine to Europe through Venezuela's sparsely populated northeastern seaboard. The total haul, the largest in Venezuela's history, is a major coup for the South American country that the United States accused of being a sanctuary for drug traffickers after it refused to allow US anti-drug planes to use its airspace. The latest seizure was pulled on Wednesday from two camouflaged pits surrounded by crocodile-infested lagoons and tropical rain forest on a large cattle farm 15km from the small town of Upata in southeastern Bolivar state, officials said. National Guard anti-drug units made the bust after capturing two men who fled during a raid on another drugs hideaway last week. "Once we caught them, they led us straight to the spot,'' said Col Jose Paez, second-in-command of the National Guard anti-narcotics unit. The raids capped an eight-month investigation, dubbed Orinoco 2000, that was financed by the US Drug Enforcement Agency and also involved anti-narcotics agents from Britain, Colombia, France, Greece, Italy and Panama. Five tons of cocaine were found last week on a wooden platform at the mouth of the Orinoco River Delta on Venezuela's eastern Atlantic coast while another two tons was found on Tuesday. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart