Corkman and partner arrested over €3m drugs haul
The man, who is in his 50s and from the Douglas area, was arrested with his long-term partner, who is also in her 50s. They were detained onshore on the Costa del Sol after Spanish police swooped on the Colin Hannah at 3.30pm on Thursday.
The Irish-registered yacht was believed to have picked up the drugs in Morocco and was making its way back to Spain when it was intercepted by members of La Guardia Civil as it entered Spanish territorial waters.
It is understood that the Irish couple were not arrested on the yacht, but detained by police in a follow-up operation onshore.
A third man, understood to be English but with Irish relatives, was also arrested. He is believed to be in his late 40s.
A senior Garda source said he believed the cannabis was destined to be shipped on to Ireland — probably via the south coast.
Last evening, the Revenue Commissioners said it had worked with the Garda National Drugs Unit and Spanish National Police on Operation Ciana/Fortuna.
Revenue said the success of the operation was a result of an intelligence-led drug-trafficking investigation.
It said Irish and Spanish authorities had “targeted a Cork-based organised crime gang”.
The statement confirmed the yacht Colin Hannah was searched and approximately 500kg of cannabis resin with a street value of approximately €3m was seized.
Revenue said two crew members were arrested on board the vessel, while two Irish and two British nationals, aged between 40 and 60 years, were arrested in follow-up searches on mainland Spain and are currently in custody.
Investigations are ongoing both nationally and internationally, Revenue added.
Meanwhile, the Corkman is a regular visitor to the Costa del Sol, southern Spain, near where the yacht was intercepted.
