1,200 kilograms of cocaine destined for the Netherlands has been found on board a Dutch motor yacht in the English port of Southampton. The Dutch Public Prosecutor's Office reports that the cocaine was found on 1 June and that six suspects were arrested in the Netherlands on Tuesday. 

The yacht was kept in Southampton for as long as possible in order to enable sufficient evidence to be collected. The suspects were told it was unseaworthy. Among those arrested were a 60-year-old man, the supposed owner of the yacht, his three sons aged 34, 32 and 27 and a 44-year-old man from Amsterdam. 

The Dutch National Crime Squad and British customs cooperated in the investigation.  

The street value of the drugs is estimated at around 44 million euros. This was the largest ever cocaine haul in the UK, according to authorities there. In the Netherlands, however, bigger busts have been made. In June, the Dutch authorities discovered 2,500 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a container carrying canned peaches.

(lo/imm)

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