£60 Million Of South American Cocaine Found Off The Welsh Coast

28 August 2019, 16:35

Six people have been arrested after the boat was intercepted half a mile from the Welsh coast.

Boarder Force officers have seized cocaine with a street value of £60 million, one of the largest cocaine hauls in UK history.

National Crime Agency officers have arrested six people as part of an operation that has so far recovered 250kg of the drug.

A further 500kg is still expected to be found.

The boat was intercepted as it sailed into Fishguard Harbour, Pembrokeshire, as part of an intelligence led operation.

Officers began searching the boat, the Sy Atrevido, about half a mile from the Welsh coast.

Six arrests have been made in relation to the operation.

Two men, who are aged 53 and 41 and are British nationals were arrested on board and are still in custody.

Arrests were also made in Liverpool and Loughborough. Three men, aged 23, 31 and 47, and a woman aged 30 are all currently on bail.

Craig Naylor, deputy director of investigations at the NCA, said: "We are still working on the seizure. But so far we have taken 250 kilos off the boat."We believe, and what we can see, there is a further 500 kilos on the boat bringing it to a total of 750 kilos. That's the same weight as a Mini motor car."

"It's a really major haul. This amount of drugs going into the UK market would saturate the place for a long period of time."It would place vulnerable people in county lines situations in even more danger. What we have done is to disrupt that market significantly."

"We are trying to make sure that criminals who are trying to profit from the misery drugs cause don't have that opportunity."

Deputy Director Steve Whitton, from Border Force’s Maritime Command, said: "This is a major seizure and a testament to the multi-agency approach we take to secure the UK's border and territorial waters."

"Our collaboration with the NCA, combined with excellent work from the crew of HMC Protector and officers from our specialist deep rummage team ensured that the sailing Yacht ATREVIDO’s cargo did not reach its intended destination."

"Working together, we will continue to do all we can to put the organised crime groups involved in drug smuggling before the courts.”