Ex-heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic charged with cocaine trafficking

A former heavyweight boxer has been charged in the US with trafficking 22 tonnes of cocaine, worth more than $1bn (£870m), into Europe.

Goran Gogic, 43, from Montenegro, was arrested on Sunday in Miami after being indicted by a New York grand jury.

The charges come from three seizures, including one of the largest in the US.

Prosecutors say the traffickers sent the drugs from Colombia via US ports, using cranes and nets at night to hoist them onto cargo ships from speedboats.

Court documents say Gogic was in charge of the logistics, coordinating with Colombian traffickers, crew members and dock staff.

The former boxer's lawyer, Lawrence Hashish, said he maintained his innocence and the charges were a surprise to him.

In a statement, US Attorney Breon Peace described the arrest and indictment as a "body blow to the organisation and individuals responsible for distributing massive quantities of cocaine".

Three seizures of cocaine in 2019 led to the indictment. They include the discovery of 19.8 tonnes on the MSC Gayane while it was docked in Philadelphia.

At least eight of the ship's crew have pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges.