Turkish authorities have seized about 350 kg of cocaine hidden below the waterline of bulk carrier MV CSPC Pisces at Mersin Port. Police detained nine people in connection with the investigation.
Authorities launched the operation after receiving intelligence that a cocaine shipment from South America would arrive at the port. MV CSPC Pisces had sailed from Brazil and called at Tarragona, Spain, before reaching Mersin on September 11.
Anti-narcotics and intelligence units inspected the vessel, and divers found 12 waterproof packages concealed inside the ship’s sea chest. They cut into the relevant section below the waterline to recover the packages.
Authorities valued the cocaine at about $31 million.Police also seized diving equipment and an underwater scooter allegedly intended to retrieve the packages. Investigators suspect one team attached the packages to the vessel at its departure port. Another team could then recover them after arrival.
MV CSPC Pisces is a Liberia-flagged bulk carrier built in 2026. The vessel is about 225 metres long and 36 metres wide, with a gross tonnage of 54,832.
Polese detained the nine suspects on allegations of manufacturing and trafficking narcotic or stimulant substances. There is currently no indication that the vessel’s crew was involved in the smuggling operation.
