Luxury vessel intercepted and boarded by officers in international waters north of Guernsey
A Briton is among six men charged after authorities seized more than 2 tonnes of cocaine onboard a luxury yacht.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspects had been charged with drug trafficking offences over the seizure, which was made 80 miles (130km) off the coast of Plymouth on Thursday and is estimated to be worth about £160m.
Andrew Cole, 32, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, will appear at Plymouth magistrates court on Monday alongside the Nicaraguan nationals Billy Downs, 49, Denson White-Morales, 34, Edwin Taylor-Morgan, 40, Brynie Sjogreen, 38 and Ryan Taylor, 42.
The NCA said the operation involved its personnel as well as the Australian Federal Police and Border Force.
Border Force maritime command’s 42-metre cutter Searcher and 19-metre coastal patrol vessel Alert had covertly identified and monitored the movements of the yacht, Kahu.
Sailing from the Caribbean, it was intercepted and boarded by specialist Border Force and NCA officers in international waters north of Guernsey before being escorted back to an undisclosed location on the UK mainland.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) said the suspects had been charged with drug trafficking offences over the seizure, which was made 80 miles (130km) off the coast of Plymouth on Thursday and is estimated to be worth about £160m.
Andrew Cole, 32, from Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham, will appear at Plymouth magistrates court on Monday alongside the Nicaraguan nationals Billy Downs, 49, Denson White-Morales, 34, Edwin Taylor-Morgan, 40, Brynie Sjogreen, 38 and Ryan Taylor, 42.
The NCA said the operation involved its personnel as well as the Australian Federal Police and Border Force.
Border Force maritime command’s 42-metre cutter Searcher and 19-metre coastal patrol vessel Alert had covertly identified and monitored the movements of the yacht, Kahu.
Sailing from the Caribbean, it was intercepted and boarded by specialist Border Force and NCA officers in international waters north of Guernsey before being escorted back to an undisclosed location on the UK mainland.