(ANSA) - PALERMO, JUN 19 - Six tons of hashish, for an estimated market value of about 13 million euros, were seized in the Strait of Sicily by soldiers from the aeronaval operational command and from the Palermo provincial command of the Guardia di Finanza.
The drug was on a sailing vessel, flying the flag of the United States, which was seized.
The yellow flames arrested the crew of the boat, three Bulgarians, and led the boat to the port of Palermo.
The vessel, flying the US flag, had been intercepted by an aircraft of the Finance Police, an Atr42-MP, employed in idle surveillance and patrolling of the Western Mediterranean. After the sighting, the sailboat was monitored for about 12 hours by the multirole patrol vessel P02 'Monte Cimone. After obtaining the necessary clearance from the flag State of the vessel to submit it to a police check, the boarding team of the Multirole patrol vessel proceeded to access and stop the vessel. Three members of the crew, of Bulgarian nationality, were present on board and the large quantity of hashish was found.
The ship was taken to the port of Palermo to continue the judicial police activity by the soldiers of the Investigation Group on Organized Crime (Gico) of the economic and financial police unit and the naval station of Palermo. The operation ended with the arrest of the three crew members and the seizure of the boat used for illicit trafficking and of the approximately six tons of hashish which, according to the investigator's estimate, would have yielded about 13 million euros. (HANDLE).
