LUNITA

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Investigations continued after drug seizure

The 'Lunita' remained under investigation in South Korea after authorities found a huge quantity of cocaine on board. The bulk carrier arrived at Okgye Port in Gangneung, Gangwon Province on April 1. It was inspected on April 2 by South Korean officials from the Korea Coast Guard and Seoul Regional Customs Office. The search followed a tip from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations. The authorities found 50 tightly packed bundles of cocaine, each weighing about 20 kilograms, hidden in the vessel’s engine room. In total, the drugs weighed two metric tons. The Korea Customs Service estimated the street value at a staggering $679.6 million. All 20 crew members on the ship were Filipinos and remained on board the vesse, having not been formally detained or charged. The South Korean authorities were still investigating. If they find that the crew members were involved in trafficking the drugs, then charges and possible detention may follow. The possibility that only one person could be responsible, or that the drugs may have been placed on board at a previous port, was not ruled out either. The Norwegian shipowner, J.J. Ugland Companies, confirmed the drug seizure in a public statement on April 3. The company said it is still unclear how the drugs were smuggled onto the vessel and stated that it had already hired a lawyer to represent the crew. The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in the Philippines also stepped in, promising to provide legal assistance. Government lawyers will be joining the legal team within the next two days to help the Filipino crew members. The DMW was coordinating with the DFA to ensure the crew receives all the necessary assistance. He reaffirmed that under the law, the crew members are presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The vessel remaine docked at Okgye Port.

Two tons of cocaine seized on bulk carrier

In a statement on April 7, 2025, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said an investigation by South Korean authorities is underway on the'Lunita' that was flagged for carrying two tons of suspected cocaine. Te ship was being manned by Filipino crew at the time of the raid. The crew members were not detained and on board the vessel were are under investigation by local authorities. The South Koreans were still investigating if they were trafficking drugs, and then they will be charged, most probably detained, The 'Lunita' was at Okgye Port in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, when the Korea Customs Service and Korea Coast Guard carried out a joint raid on April 2, based on a tip-off from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation. The South Korean authorities discovered that the vessel was carrying 57 boxes of suspected cocaine. The ship owner has already provided the Filipino crew members a lawyer but the DFA was ready to provide legal assistance should the main agency handling the case, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), require. The DFA is currently waiting for the official report of the Philippine Embassies in Seoul and Oslo.