Local News in Brief : 220 Pounds of Cocaine Seized in Van Nuys Apartment Raid

Los Angeles police seized an estimated 220 pounds of cocaine Wednesday during a search of a Van Nuys apartment, the third-largest cocaine haul ever in the city, police said.

The drug has a street value of about $62.5 million, Lt. E. A. Schiller said. He said he could not give the location because an investigation is continuing and no arrests have been made.

Police said detectives carrying a search warrant found the cocaine in plastic bags and cardboard boxes. The drug, which is more than 90% pure, apparently had been transported recently from Colombia, they said.

“This stuff is fresh off the boat,” Detective John Harrington said.

Police said many of the boxes containing the cocaine bore markings similar to cattle brands. The markings probably tell cocaine dealers who produced the drug, they said.

Last week, at another Van Nuys residence, investigators found about 70 pounds of cocaine with a street value exceeding $20 million. A suspect was arrested in that case.

Schiller said Wednesday’s seizure was not connected to the earlier one.

Police said the largest cocaine seizure ever in Los Angeles occurred earlier this year, when investigators found 556 pounds in Pasadena.

The investigation is being conducted by the Narcotics Division Major Violators Section, police said.