Britons charged over cocaine haul

The Irish navy, gardai and customs were involved in the swoop

Three Britons have appeared in court charged in connection with a 1.7-tonne haul of cocaine seized from a yacht off the south-west coast of Ireland.

Philip Doo and David Mufford, of Devon, and Christopher Wiggins, of Spain, are accused of trying to import the drugs.

The three men were arrested after the Irish navy, police and customs swooped on the 60ft yacht on Wednesday.

They were remanded in custody at Clonakilty District Court, west Cork, to appear at another court next week.

The yacht, Dances With Waves, was tracked from the Caribbean by Europe's anti-drug trafficking agency, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre - Narcotics, before Irish authorities moved in 170 miles off the Cork coast.

Mr Doo, 52, of Brixham, Devon, Mr Mufford, 44, of Torquay, Devon, and Mr Wiggins, 42, of Estepona, Malaga, have each been charged under Section 34 of the Irish Republic's Criminal Justice Drug Trafficking Act - possession of drugs with intent to import.

Previous find

State solicitor Malachy Boohig, at a special night sitting at Clonakilty District Court, objected to bail for all three defendants and Judge James McNulty remanded them in custody to appear before Kinsale District Court next Thursday.

The haul, estimated to be worth up to 700m euro (£572m), is one of the largest drugs seizures in Europe this year and is expected to eclipse last year's record find off County Cork.

The 1.5 tonnes of cocaine, valued at 440m euro, was washed up on the coast near Mizen Head.