Mark Bassant
Three men were held early this morning aboard a pirogue in the Gulf of Paria near the Point Fortin area by officers of the Customs and Excise Division and a huge quantity of narcotics seized with the street value yet to be ascertained.
A senior Customs officer told Guardian Media that acting on intelligence provided a white pirogue with blue trimmings was intercepted near the Point Fortin area shortly after 4 a.m.
The pirogue with the three men and a quantity of drugs were escorted to the King's Wharf in San Fernando.
Sources say some 32 packets were counted, and 30 of them appeared to be marijuana and two packets of cocaine.
Customs officers at King's Wharf on Thursday.
Kristian De Silva
The officers were currently weighing the narcotics and expect later to declare an approximate street value for the drugs.
Customs and Excise Division officers also seized two Yamaha boat engines.
Sources say the three men held are from Diego Martin, Marabella, and Williamsville respectively.
Based on preliminary information the senior customs officer said they believe the men had left the Venezuelan town of Tucupita several hours before and made the journey to Trinidad.
Tucupita is a known drug transshipment point and drug traffickers often use the Orinoco River to smuggle drugs into Trinidad's southwestern peninsula.
