A Dutch man has been jailed for trying to smuggle over two tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of £133 million, into the UK on a yacht.
Maarten Peter Pieterse, 61, was arrested when his sailing yacht, which had been specially adapted to hide the drug haul, was intercepted by Border Force officials 120 miles off the coast of Cornwall.
The yacht was escorted into Newlyn harbour where specialists conducted a two-day search of the vessel, which saw them recover 1,661 blocks of cocaine concealed in the yacht's stern.
In total, 2.1 tonnes of high purity cocaine was recovered, with an estimated wholesale value of £50 million.
If cut and sold on the street, the haul had an estimated value of £133 million.
According to the National Crime Agency, the yacht left Marina d'Angra in the Azores on the July 9 2018 and was destined for Europe and the UK.
Ty Surgeon, Operations Manager at the National Crime Agency, said: “This huge haul of cocaine is one of the largest seizures of class A ever in the UK, with a potential street value of more than £130 million.
“I have no doubt these drugs were destined for Europe and the UK, to be sold by drugs gangs who are also involved in intimidation, exploitation and violence.
“We know the criminal trade in drugs is driven by financial gain, and the loss of the profit that would have been made from this seizure will have a major impact on the crime groups involved.
“The NCA continues to provide a key role in tackling criminal networks supplying class A drugs into the UK, and our work with partners at home and abroad to tackle the supply chain is vital to this.”
Pieterse pleaded guilty at a court hearing last year and was today sentences to 16 years in jail at Bristol Crown Court .
Another crew member, Emile Adriaan Jeroen Schoemaker, 45, was arrested alongside Pieterse at the time, but was found not guilty by a jury in June this year.
