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Montenegrin seamen sentenced in $1 BILLION cocaine smuggling scheme declare they had been pressured by Balkan drug smugglers to cover medicine in US-bound delivery containers
- Ivan Durasevic, 31, and Nenad Ilic, 41, each of Montenegro, had been arrested and sentenced after authorities seized almost 20 tons of cocaine from a ship named MSC Gayane
- The boys informed the court docket that they had been coerced into taking part within the drug scheme after being contacted by a robust Balkan drug trafficking group
- Durasevic and Ilic mentioned they had been afraid to say no out of concern for his or her security and that of their households, and turned down ‘astronomical sums’ earlier than giving in
- Durasevic, Ilic and different crew members loaded bulk packages of cocaine onto the vessel from speedboats that approached the vessel in the midst of the evening
- Durasevic and Ilic operated cell ‘narco’ telephones to coordinate the majority cocaine smuggling with others on land and helped recruit crew members
Two Montenegrin seamen who had been sentenced for conspiracy after authorities seized almost $1 billion of cocaine from a business delivery vessel mentioned Monday they had been pressured into the scheme by Balkan drug smugglers.
Ivan Durasevic, 31, and Nenad Ilic, 41, each of Montenegro, had been arrested in 2019 after authorities found almost 20 tons of cocaine aboard a ship named MSC Gayane within the Packer Marine Terminal in Philadelphia.
The drug bust was one of many largest drug seizures in U.S. historical past, the DOJ mentioned in a launch.
Ivan Durasevic, 31, and Nenad Ilic, 41, each of Montenegro, had been arrested after authorities seized almost 20 tons of cocaine from a ship named MSC Gayane (pictured)
The drug bust was one of many largest drug seizures in U.S. historical past, the DOJ mentioned in a launch
In line with the Japanese District of Pennsylvania’s U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace, Durasevic and Ilic, who had been crew members on the business delivery vessel, conspired with others to have interaction in a bulk cocaine smuggling scheme.
However as the lads confronted sentencing on Monday they informed the court docket that they had been coerced into taking part within the drug scheme after being contacted by a robust Balkan drug trafficking group.
Durasevic and Ilic mentioned they had been afraid to say no, fearing for his or her security and their households’, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The boys mentioned they turned down ‘astronomical sums’ of cash earlier than giving in and taking part.
‘It merely was not a viable possibility for him to say no when he was recruited,’ Durasevic’s legal professional, Mythri A. Jayaraman mentioned. ‘Recruited is simply too gentle a phrase, he was coerced.’
U.S. District Choose Harvey Bartle III was not moved by their claims and sentenced the lads to 6 and a half and 7 years, respectively, in jail.
In 2019 authorities seized almost 20 tons of cocaine from a ship named MSC Gayane within the Packer Marine Terminal in Philadelphia
Bartle III mentioned the lads made a acutely aware determination to take part ‘in main, main drug exercise — unprecedented — which may have resulted within the deaths of 1000’s of individuals,’ the Inquirer reported.
On a number of events through the MSC Gayane’s voyage and whereas at sea, Durasevic, Ilic and different crew members loaded bulk packages of cocaine onto the vessel from speedboats that approached in the midst of the evening, the DOJ mentioned.
Crew members stashed the cocaine within the vessel’s delivery containers by bending ship railings and pulling again doorways on delivery containers, so they may match the massive quantities in.
They hid the medicine amongst official cargo and used faux seals to reseal delivery containers and disguise the contraband, the DOJ mentioned.
Durasevic and Ilic operated cell ‘narco’ telephones to coordinate the majority cocaine smuggling with others on land and helped recruit crew members whereas at sea to help within the scheme.
5 different crewmen already had been sentenced to jail phrases that vary from 5 to seven years, with one crewman remaining to be sentenced, the Inquirer reported.
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