9 longshoremen at East Coast’s biggest shipping port arrested, revealing security breakdown
By APTuesday, October 5, 2010
9 arrests show security breach at NJ shipping port
NEW YORK — Authorities say the East Coast’s largest shipping port has experienced a security breach as eight dock workers have been charged in New York with cocaine trafficking and another has been charged in a stock fraud scheme.
Authorities said Tuesday the arrests of longshoremen from the Elizabeth-Port Authority Marine Terminal in Elizabeth, N.J., were part of a prosecution that resulted in 22 arrests. Other arrests were made earlier.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara (bah-RAHR’-ah) says an investigation revealed a security flaw at one of the world’s most important hubs for commerce and trade. He says longshoremen made up to $100,000 for offloading just one duffel bag of cocaine within a secure area only employees could access.
He warns, “We can’t afford to have a port that is porous.”
Authorities say they seized cocaine worth more than $34 million.
