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Drug smugglers hide cocaine in 1,000 bags of rice for the poor

Traffickers planned to ship the rice to Brazil first, en route to Europe, but police derailed their plans.

CREATIVE DRUG SMUGGLERS in Argentina fused rice with cocaine and tried to ship nearly 1,000 bags to Europe marked as donations for a UN food programme in Africa, police said today.

Authorities seized 920 bags of the special rice in the city of Rosario, north of the capital Buenos Aires, and arrested the gang behind the unusual ruse.

Drug traffickers planned to ship the rice to Brazil first, en route to Europe, but police derailed their plans.

Experts said that the shipment would have hidden 20-30 kilos (44-66 pounds) of cocaine.

“Most likely, this was a test run. And if it had gone through, they would have followed through with larger volume,” customs chief Guillermo Michel told reporters.

Seven Colombians, four Argentines and a Guatemalan have been arrested for trafficking and possible money laundering, he said.

“This is a new one,” Michel said, adding that authorities would have to adapt their search strategies.

© – AFP 2015

Read: Cocaine cut with cattle de-wormer made this woman’s skin rot

Read: International experts back Irish drug injection centre plan

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    Mute Joan Featherstone
    Favourite Joan Featherstone
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    Feb 13th 2014, 8:58 AM

    What a super gesture and that hotel is in a beautiful spot. Well done!

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    Mute Robbie Doyle
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:03 AM

    This is the type of spirit we should be working towards and aspiring to as a country rather than promoting peoples apparent selfishness.

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
    Favourite Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Feb 25th 2014, 11:09 AM

    Okay, relax there and stop judging us all.

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    Mute Alison Irving
    Favourite Alison Irving
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:46 AM

    Yesterday evening getting on the bus I realised there was no money on my Leap card & I didnt have enough change for the fare – bus driver let me off with the extra because he “couldn’t leave you out there in that weather”. Thanks Dublin Bus!!

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    Mute Ryan Freeman
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    Feb 13th 2014, 9:21 AM

    Session!

    132
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    Mute Darren Callaghan
    Favourite Darren Callaghan
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:00 AM

    Power Cut, lock in at the Glendalough Hotel during a storm, damn it why didn’t I buy house in Laragh

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    Mute Sean Scanlon
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    Feb 13th 2014, 1:57 PM

    I did

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:03 AM

    Whitford House Hotel in Wexford posted something similar. I don’t know if they provided any freebies, but there are worse places to while away a bad evening!

    (*not related or affiliated. I just like the place.)

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    Mute aisling doyle
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:55 AM

    Love it too :) always a great place to go — great to see people been nice

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    Mute Shanti
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    Feb 13th 2014, 11:26 AM

    I saw a lot of these types of gestures on Facebook last night – including this one..
    Nice to see that sense of community is still with us.. Unlike the garden furniture and a few sheds..

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    Mute Deborah Carroll
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    Feb 13th 2014, 4:43 PM

    Lovely to see them helping out, unlike a certain shop in Newcastle West charging 80 euro for a camping stove this morning…

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    Mute Neal •IntoYourHead
    Favourite Neal •IntoYourHead
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    Feb 25th 2014, 11:11 AM

    That seems quite reasonable for a camping stove.

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    Mute Barry Aston
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    Feb 13th 2014, 3:17 PM

    Great hotel in all truth. Used to lack a bit years ago but is now top notch. Spent 4 days there last week. They are sound staff and the chef is fairly handy too.

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    Mute Jacinta O'Shaughnessy Foley
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    Feb 13th 2014, 10:32 AM

    Brilliant marketing stategy!

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    Mute Mary Blake
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    Feb 13th 2014, 5:37 PM

    Fantastic well done we all need a little help sometimes

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    Mute AICS (Steve Tracey)
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    Feb 13th 2014, 7:29 PM

    Possibly was a marketing, PR strategy. Does that make it any less pf a good thing? I supposevsome people will always find a way of belittling helpful actions.

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    Mute David Giles
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    Feb 14th 2014, 6:02 AM

    Virtue brings its own reward.

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    Mute Gerard Creedon
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    Feb 13th 2014, 12:28 PM

    Great thinkin can’t lose wit dat PR !!

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    Mute Gobblor
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    Feb 13th 2014, 3:48 PM

    wit dat?

    Red thumb for being a moron.

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