US embassy cable - 04HALIFAX172

Disclaimer: This site has been first put up 15 years ago. Since then I would probably do a couple things differently, but because I've noticed this site had been linked from news outlets, PhD theses and peer rewieved papers and because I really hate the concept of "digital dark age" I've decided to put it back up. There's no chance it can produce any harm now.

MAJOR DRUG SEIZURE IN ATLANTIC CANADA

Identifier: 04HALIFAX172
Wikileaks: View 04HALIFAX172 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Consulate Halifax
Created: 2004-07-02 19:51:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: SNAR CA VE
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS HALIFAX 000172 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SNAR, CA, VE 
SUBJECT: MAJOR DRUG SEIZURE IN ATLANTIC CANADA 
 
1.  This past weekend, at Whitney Pier, Sydney, Nova Scotia, 
Canada, during a routine search of the Canadian Steamship Lines 
vessel the "Shelia Ann", Canadian Border Services Agency 
officials and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police seized 83 kilos 
of cocaine.  The drugs were hidden in two duffle bags and are 
said to be worth C$10 million.  The ship was reported as coming 
to Canada from Maracaibo, Venezuela, with a load of coal for a 
Nova Scotia power plant. The drugs were reportedly hidden in an 
underwater grate at the bottom of the ship in Venezuela.  Police 
believe divers were used to put the cocaine in the grate. 
 
2.  After a thorough investigation of the ship and interviews 
with the captain and crew, the "Sheila Ann" was released on July 
2, 2004 for it's onward destination in Florida.  Consulate staff 
observed it leaving Halifax harbor the same day. 
 
3.  This seizure has gained national interest as the ship 
belongs to a Montreal-based company, CSL, formerly owned by 
Prime Minister Paul Martin and his wife Sheila and since August 
2003 controlled by their three sons. 
 
 
 
 
HILL 

Latest source of this page is cablebrowser-2, released 2011-10-04