BOGOTA, Feb. 24 (Xinhuanet) -- The Colombian government on Thursday seized eight planes and other assets from the Intercontinental de Aviacion, whose principal shareholders are related to drug-trafficking activities.

    Colonel Oscar Naranjo of the Judicial and Investigative Police Direction said that most of the confiscated properties belong to shareholder Gabriel Puerta.

    Puerta was arrested in Colombia on Oct. 7, 2004, and the US government, which accused him of importing, owning and distributing cocaine, is seeking to extradite him.

    Naranjo said that 10 prosecutors and 150 police agents took part in the confiscation activities.

    Naranjo said that the assets totaled 98 million US dollars.

    Another principal shareholder of the company is a lawyer known by the alias El Doctor, considered as the second leader in the Norte del Valle cartel, headed by Diego Montoya, alias Don Diego.

    On Oct. 15, 2004, the Intercontinental de Aviacion was listed by the US State Department as a drug-trafficker.

    According to the US Treasury Department, the airways is "small,regional and involved in drug-trafficking and money laundering forthe Norte del Valle cartel" since the late 1980s.

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