The jury in the eight-week €440m cocaine trial today got its strongest warning yet from the trial judge about avoiding any external influences on them.

One of the men accused of having €440m worth of cocaine in Dunlough Bay in West Cork last year claimed today that he had nothing to do with the crime and was pushed on to the boat carrying all the drugs.

The man who was rescued from the water where €440m worth of cocaine was also found claimed today the gardaí thought he was guilty just because he was in the water and that in fact he was on a walking holiday in west Cork where he visited the Buddhist centre and the church at Gougane Barra.

The biggest drugs trial in the history of the State relating to the seizure of over €100m worth of cocaine off the coast of West Cork last Summer commenced in Cork city today.