Romania: cocaine lies hidden in government garage for 4 years

Romania's prime minister ordered an inquiry Friday after cocaine with a street value of more than EUR60 million (US82 million) lay undiscovered in a car in a government garage for more than four years.

The cocaine had apparently been missed when customs officers confiscated the Porsche in 2002 from a drug trafficker after finding 60 kilograms (132 pounds) of drugs hidden under the back seat.

The car sat in a government garage for more than four years and was not driven because it needed repair, until it was seen by Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu, who ordered it fixed and transferred to the highway police for use in high-speed chases.

Mechanics working to repair the Porsche discovered a further 60 kilograms of white powder in bags hidden in it.

"Probably the people at the garage had no idea of how the car ended up there," Tariceanu said. He added that he wanted a rapid investigation "to clear up all doubts about the matter."