Brazilian divers have found cocaine weighing 212 kg hidden below the waterline on a Latvian-controlled bulker.
The operation was carried out on Tuesday at the port of Santos by federal police and the Brazilian Navy.
The vessel was selected for inspection based on police risk and intelligence criteria.
A photo released to media by the navy showed the vessel as the 36,000-dwt Liberia-flagged Transmeridian (built 2011), operated by Rix Shipmanagement of Latvia.
The drugs were found by divers in the vessel’s sea chest, the intake area for ballast water in the hulls of large ships, CNN reported.
The sea chest supplies water to cool the engines and power the firefighting system.
Photos showed eight packages of drugs wrapped in black plastic arrests were reported.
AIS data showed the vessel was underway off the port on Friday, heading for Rotterdam.
Underwater concealment of drugs is rising
CNN said the vessel had been bound for Germany.
An investigation has begun.
Rix told TradeWinds the discovery was made as part of a routine check before the ship left port.
“The authorities and customs made a second inspection of the vessel, and thereafter the ship got port clearance and safely sailed with all crew on board,” the company added.
Since November last year, the port of Santos has been part of a “law and order guarantee” operation announced by the government as a way to combat organised crime.
Rio de Janeiro and Itaguai have also been included in this operation.
According to a navy report published by the Estadao website, 1.68 tonnes of cocaine were seized from vessels at Santos last year, after divers inspected hulls.
The concealment of drugs underwater has been growing.
In 2020, only 2.3% of seized cocaine was discovered in hulls below the waterline.
This had risen to 13.5% in 2023.
