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The fast ship was spotted on Thursday and the Coast Guard suspected it had contraband on board. The suspects did not respond to stop signals, after which several warning shots were fired from a helicopter. In the end, according to the Ministry of Defense, the engines were switched off “with a few targeted shots”.
The boat began to sink and those on board were rescued. 45 packages containing the 1,325 kilograms of drugs were also fished out of the water. The suspects have been handed over to the local police and the smuggler who was injured was rushed to hospital by helicopter.
Prime Minister Gilmar ‘Pik’ Pisas, who is also Justice Minister, paid a visit to the Coast Guard in the middle of the night and later posted photos of the many bales of drugs seized on his Facebook page. He called it a nice, successful action by the Coast Guard, which worked together with the police and immigration service of the island.
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