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Two men charged in connection with a cocaine seizure valued at over $254 million appeared before a Port of Spain High Court Master on Friday.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Roger Gaspard advised that Captain James Rodrigues and Abdul Azad be charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking. Both were denied bail, and the matter was adjourned to April 30.

The charges stem from a March 12 operation, in which law enforcement officers seized 157 packets of cocaine aboard a shipping vessel. The drugs weighed 182.24 kilograms and carried an estimated street value of $254,027,980.