Royal Navy in £240m cocaine seizure

The Royal Navy has made its largest ever seizure of cocaine with a haul worth more than £240 million.

HMS Iron Duke seized more than five and a half tonnes of the drug in an operation off the coast of South America.

The 138ft fishing boat MV Cristal was spotted by a Navy helicopter crew in an area known for trafficking, which led to a dramatic swoop with the US coast guard and another British ship RFA Fort George.

In total 212 bales of cocaine were found, weighing about 26kg each. The crews then sank the drug smugglers' boat.

Commander Andrew Stacey said that an armed helicopter and rigid inflatable boats were sent to intercept the ship on September 15.

His crew then spent more than 24 hours painstakingly scouring the vessel for narcotics.

The drugs were hidden under the ship's regular stores, beneath a concrete floor and steel panels.

Tonnes of stock had to be moved, the hard floor broken up with sledge hammers and metal panels unbolted before the stash was revealed.

The cocaine was stored on the Iron Duke for around 24 hours - because there was so much of it some had to be kept on deck under armed guard.

Cdr Stacey said: "We are very well prepared to defend ourselves. It was a big quantity and I was conscious of the fact that some people might want it back, but they would have a tough time getting it back from us."