St. Maart: Big coke bust

Curaçao police officer H. van Capella, a St. Maarten-based businessman whose initials were given as J.V. and his son were among a dozen people arrested when a major Colombian cocaine smuggling organisation was dismantled and 200 kilos of cocaine confiscated.

Chief Prosecutor Cor Merx said J.V. , a national of Colombia and the owner of World of Silver, a jewellery store on upper Front Street, was believed to be the head of the drug-smuggling organisation.

Merx also disclosed that as a result of this major drug bust, "everything in World of Silver" had been confiscated.

Among the detainees were seven Colombians (four men and three women), two Dominicano men and three Antilleans, including the woman A. van der G. and the Curaçao policeman. Seven homes were searched in Curaçao and several in St. Maarten as well.

Drug dealers are like terrorists; they're ubiquitous.