60 Tonnes Of Drug-Making Chemicals Seized In Mexico

Over 60 tonnes of drug-making chemicals that arrived in recent weeks from China have been seized in Mexico, officials said.

In two operations, customs agents, investigative police from the federal Attorney General's Office's and marines seized at the Pacific port of Manzanillo four shipping containers with chemicals used to make synthetic drugs, said the internal revenue service, the AG's office and the Navy Secretariat in a joint statement.

Two containers held 80 barrels with a chemical called monomethylamine and were found in a ship that arrived from Shanghai in April without the required permit.

The two other containers were transported by a Germany-flagged ship that arrived from Shanghai in May with another 80 barrels containing a chemical called ethyl phenylacetate.

This latest seizure brings the amount of drug-making chemicals seized during the administration of President Felipe Calderon, who took office in December 2006, to 600 tonnes, authorities said.