Cocaine yacht Makayabella to be sold off by State

A luxury yacht which was seized last September carrying €80m of cocaine is to be auctioned off by the State.

The Makayabella was intercepted by the LÉ Niamh 250km off the south-west coast last September and escorted to Haulbowline, Co Cork. Back at base, 41 bales of the class A drug were unloaded from the vessel. News of the auction comes days after the latest arrest was made in connection with the drug-smuggling operation, which was organised by a British gang.

A 30-year-old man was arrested by officers from the National Crime Agency at his home in west Yorkshire last Tuesday and charged with conspiring to import the drugs. He is due before Leeds Crown Court on July 15.

Earlier this year, three men, including a west Yorkshire pensioner who skippered the yacht across the Atlantic, were sentenced to up to 10 years in prison for their roles in the operation.

The 28-year-old yacht will be sold on behalf of the State by Cork-based auctioneer Dominic Daly.

“I think there will be a lot of interest in it. It is in good shape. It was doing small cruises around the West Indies before it was very much in demand,” the auctioneer said.

He said the 19-metre boat could sleep “two crew and eight passengers in absolute comfort.” Mr Daly hopes to auction the vessel before the end of the month at a venue in Cork which has yet to be decided. He has acted for the State before by auctioning off vessels and equipment seized from drug gangs.

In 2010 on behalf of Cab, Mr Daly sold the Lucky Day catamaran for €58,000.

The irony of the vessel’s name will never be lost on the drugs gang caught trying to land its €440m cargo of cocaine at Dunlough Bay, near the Mizen Head on July 2, 2007. The sea was far rougher than expected when their RIB engine malfunctioned as it was filled with diesel instead of unleaded petrol.