Thursday's drug seizure worth $38m, three in custody

The marijuana and cocaine seized at sea off Point Fortin on Thursday morning have an estimated value of $38 million.

Newsday learnt that the cocaine weighed 74 kilogrammes. The weight of the compressed "kush" marijuana was not revealed.

The three detained men, 41, 35, and 33, remained in police custody up to Friday.

The suspects are from Marabella, Williamsville, and Patna Village in Diego Martin.

Custom and Excise officers seized the drugs from an unmarked boat the Gulf of Paria at about 5 am on Thursday.

Customs officers of the Interdiction Unit were patrolling about one nautical mile out to sea.

A report said the officers saw the boat with three men on board. They searched it and found the drugs in 32 packets.

The officers also saw several fuel containers on board.

Defence Force and police officers were contacted and Customs and Excise officers towed the boat to the Customs office at King’s Wharf in San Fernando.

Police were tight-lipped on the investigations.