MV St. Efrem Cocaine Saga

Saavedra Jose Killed To Conceal Deal

Intensive investigations the Daily Post conducted into the current cocaine saga on board the Filipino flagged vessel, MV St. Efrem suggests that Able Seaman Saavedra Jose was, the man found dead in the ship, was killed to cover the cocaine deal.

Before the pathologist places the body on the slab to commence autopsy, speculations are rife that Jose was privy to a letter in possession of the Captain to the consignee of the narcotics drugs and its content alarmed the 49-year-old Filipino who signed on the vessel on the 18th of August, 2008 at Santos, Brazil.

The signals we picked are that he protested against the presence of the illegal substance onboard the vessel, courtesy the content of the letter. The investigation further revealed that Saavedra Jose was reportedly killed and the body hanged by some of the crew in his cabin to feign suicide. He was killed around last Sunday.

Another crew who detested the incident informed the deceased's family in Philippines who in turn passed on the report got to the Ghanaian authorities for action.

The vessel had by that time spent about six days at the anchorage, six nautical miles from the Tema Port.

Having discovered that their heinous crime has come  to light, the Master on board reportedly planned to sink the vessel so that both actions, conveying the narcotic drugs and the murder would be concealed.

Our source hinted that the Captain again attempted discharging the stuff into a smaller boat and was picked by a satellite in orbit but before they could say jack, the heavily armed security made up of Navy, Police, Narcotics Control Board operatives, National Security and the Port Authority guards stormed the vessel.

From a distance, the Ghana Navy positioned a gunboat as the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) pilot lunch carrying the armed personnel escorted MV St. Efrem to the Tema Port.

Meanwhile, another parcel of the substance suspected to be cocaine was dropped into the sea at the port on Tuesday night after the joint security operation ended.

As the place, berth 3, was cordoned, a port security guard on duty on board MV St. Efrem at about 2000 hours discovered that an object had been thrown overboard.

He alerted the security patrol boat and upon arrival found the parcel in the form of a sack of sugar floating, bringing the number of parcels to six, with a total weight of 193 kg.

The earlier five weighed 162kg and judging from the fact that each sack recorded between 31 and 32 kg, hence the total weight.

This compelled the GPHA security and the other bodies to rummage or scan the vessel on Wednesday to ascertain if there were more of the illegal substance on board.