$2 million worth of cocaine lands up at UN headquarters

Mexican drug dealers sent 16 kg of cocaine worth about $2 million, apparently by mistake, to the United Nations headquarters in New York.

The mysterious consignment, with no addresses of the sender or the recipient, were picked up by DHL, an international courier operator, and delivered to the UN headquarters last week, after transiting its centre in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Suspicious UN officials intercepted the consignment, which had a fake UN logo stamped on it. The cocaine was wrapped in aluminum foils and packed in 14 hardcover books that were placed in two pouches, which had fake UN seals, making them look like diplomatic bags.

The officials alerted the New York Police Department (NYPD) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), who then seized the contraband.

According to a NYPD spokesman, DHL might have decided to deliver the bags to the UN headquarters, as the bags had the blue UN logo stamped on them, and there were no other details about the addressee.

The police speculate that the narcotics were not meant to be shipped out of Mexico and were sent erroneously.