Following the discovery by the police of a 330Kg cocaine haul in rucksacks attached to lobster pots earlier in the week, the circumstances of how the action came about have emerged.
While on patrol in international waters on Sunday 30th May, the UKBA cutter HMC Vigilant observed the Galwad-Y-Mor SU116 acting suspiciously.
Over the course of the bank holiday weekend, considerable surveillance was conducted in the area. Later that Sunday, the same vessel was observed acting suspiciously, this time in Freshwater Bay off the coast of Isle of Wight.
Docked at Yarmouth
The vessel docked at Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, and three men were subsequently arrested by officers from the joint SOCA-Metropolitan Police Middle Market Drugs Partnership (MMDP) on suspicion of conspiracy to possess with intent to supply Class A drugs. This followed a prolonged operational deployment by officers from MMDP, UKBA and Hampshire Police.
On the morning of Monday 31 May, MMDP and UKBA officers attended a location off Tennyson Point, Isle of Wight, and recovered 11 rucksacks attached to an orange buoy. Each contained approximately 30kg cocaine
The three men were taken to Fareham police station where they were questioned by SOCA officers and charged with conspiracy to import cocaine on the afternoon of Tuesday 1st June.
