site.btaNavibulgar Confirms Arrest of Sixth Crew Member in Connection with Drug Haul on Board Ship in Ireland

Navigation Maritime Bulgare (Navibulgar) has been informed by the Irish authorities that a security operation is being carried out on board the Bulgarian-owned Malta-flagged bulk carrier Verila and that a sixth crew member has been arrested after five more were detained on Friday, the company said in a media release on Saturday.

Navibulgar's management reiterated it was ready to fully cooperate with the competent authorities. It hopes that the full force of the law will be applied to the culprits and that they will serve their punishments.

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov Thursday said a 500-kilogram consignment of cocaine had been discovered on the Verila with a crew of 17 Bulgarians and one Ukrainian.

The ship arrived at Foynes, Co Limerick, with a cargo of grain from Canada on December 19.