Estonian skipper caught with €110 million worth of cocaine
The United Kingdom's Border Force arrested the Estonian captain of a catamaran they stopped off the Southern Irish Coast after they found cocaine with a potential street value of some €110 million on the boat. A Latvian and a Dutch citizen that accompanied him were arrested as well.
Skipper Richard Must, 48, from Estonia, and crew members Voldemars Gailis, 20, from Latvia and Raymond Dijkstra, 27, from the Netherlands were due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court at the end of last week, BBC reported.
UK nationals Nigel Clark, 63, and Dean Waters, 60, both of no fixed address, were appearing before magistrates in Bristol on Friday.
The men have been charged with conspiracy to import cocaine.
The 38-meter boat, Nomad, was intercepted in the Western Approaches off the Southern Irish Coast as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA)-led operation.
NCA deputy director of investigations, Graham Gardener, said the interception was the result of an 'intelligence-led' operation.
He said they found a ton of cocaine with a potential street value of more than €110 million.
The catch is a result of the work done by the Maritime Analysis Operations Centre in Lisbon, which is a European multi-agency set up. Beyond the centre and the Border Force, the Irish authorities, the Irish Navy, and the Devon and Cornwall Police were involved as well.
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Editor: Dario Cavegn
Source: BNS
