Pubdate: Thu, 09 Nov 2000
Source: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Copyright: 2000,sThe Jerusalem Post
Contact:  PO Box 81, Jerusalem, 91000 - Israel
Fax: + 972-2-5389527
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Website: http://www.jpost.co.il/
Author: Itim

SCOTLAND YARD HERE TO STUDY MARIJUANA-SMUGGLING CASE

(November 9) - Two Scotland Yard investigators have arrived here to examine 
a shipping container in the Port of Eilat in which four tons of marijuana 
were discovered on Sunday.

Scotland Yard got the information from Interpol and contacted Eilat police, 
asking whether they could investigate how the drugs were smuggled.

The drugs were found in a container which otherwise was filled with a cargo 
of wood. It came on the Zim line's Mombassa Star, which arrived from 
Durban, South Africa. The ship was due to unload the containers and put 
them on trucks for Haifa, where they were to be shipped to European 
countries. The suspect container was destined for Romania.

Acting on intelligence information passed from Interpol to Eilat police and 
customs officials, the ship was put under surveillance. After being 
unloaded, the container was taken to a port warehouse and opened. The upper 
row of wood was removed to reveal a hiding place containing bags filled 
with some four tons of marijuana, worth about NIS 4 million.

Information was passed to Interpol, and now attempts are being made to find 
the person in Romania to whom the container was sent. No one has been 
arrested yet in the case.
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