■ United States
Cocaine hidden in statues
Two men suspected of helping smuggle cocaine to New York from Mexico inside statues of the Virgin Mary were arrested on Thursday, authorities said. Peter Matheis, 52, and Rafael Serrano, 36, both Mexican nationals, were indicted in New York and Houston, respectively, on money-laundering and narcotics charges, along with six others arrested previously, the Drug Enforcement Administration said. The 0.91m statues of the Virgin Mary, filled with 110kg of cocaine, were seized in a Brooklyn warehouse as part of the police operation. The drug ring used the statues to smuggle cocaine worth millions of dollars, FBI agent John Gilbride said in a statement.
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