Three held as €88m of cocaine seized on yacht

Three men from the north of England were arrested last night following the seizure of an estimated €88m of cocaine on a yacht during an operation which bears a striking resemblance to a drugs interception in 2008.

The yacht, Makayabella, had been tracked by security services across the Atlantic since leaving Venezuela several weeks ago packed with 1,100 kilos of cocaine.

She was intercepted by the LÉ Niamh and LÉ Roisín 500km south-west of Mizen Head during the early hours of Tuesday morning by armed boarding parties and was towed into the Naval Service headquarters at Haulbowline. The ship docked after 11pm last night.