€100m of coke must weigh a bit...

miss no stars · 24-09-2014 6:36pm #1

The Naval Service, Customs and the Garda have foiled a major drug smuggling operation when they detained a yacht with up to €100 million worth of cocaine off the south west coast of Ireland in the early hours of the morning.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/yacht-carrying-cocaine-worth-up-to-100-million-detained-off-west-coast-1.1940239

Granted, it could be due to swell, but the yacht in the pic hardly looks to be floating on her lines. Well done NS, Gardai & Customs tho!

Northern Monkey · 24-09-2014 6:40pm

About a ton I reckon

Magnate · 24-09-2014 6:45pm

Nah doing some rough maths its about 5000 kilos, so 5 tonnes.

pedroeibar1 · 24-09-2014 6:48pm

Another potential yacht for the STS (said he hopefully!)

The haul reminds me of the photo doing the rounds when the RIBS used diesel instead of petrol off Cork a few years ago.

Steve · 24-09-2014 10:10pm

No idea what €100m of drugs weighs but I reckon we went racing with about 2000kg of water in the tanks last weekend. Made about an inch difference on the waterline.

Magnate · 24-09-2014 10:18pm

According to google, a kilo will fetch for between $24,000 - $27,000 .. so call it €20,000 .... 100,000,000 / 20,000 = 5000 kilos = 5 tonnes :P

Vexorg · 24-09-2014 10:40pm

One tonne according to the Irish Times article linked in the OP

[QuoteThe Joint Task Force operation involved the LÉ Roisin and the LÉ Niamh detaining the 18.9metre yacht, Makayabella, carrying an estimated one tonne of cocaine on board at around 3am yesterday morning some 250miles off the Mizen Head in West Cork.[\quote]

@ eur 80,000 a kilo that sounds like a expensive habit.

pedroeibar1 · 24-09-2014 11:27pm

To be honest it’s a meaningless figure. Not wishing to demean the seizure, but the PR machine kicks in and the ‘value’ is always maximized for political purposes (‘see what a great job we are doing’ etc.) It depends on the purity of what is on board, so the basic weight can then be ‘cut’ and expanded X times, which can then be divided in Y sachets of ‘score’ at €Z each on the street. Multiply the Y x Z and you get the estimated ‘street value’ total which is a multiple of the ‘real’ (realistic) value.
That yacht was IMO tracked by satellite all the way from South America and shadowed, big brother was very definitely in the background. Wonder why they did not wait for the RV and do a bigger capture...

pedroeibar1 · 24-09-2014 11:34pm

From her charter site here 'A speciality on board is the snorkelling safaris, these come highly recommended' .....:D

quadrifoglio verde · 24-09-2014 11:38pm

Magnate wrote: »

According to google, a kilo will fetch for between $24,000 - $27,000 .. so call it €20,000 .... 100,000,000 / 20,000 = 5000 kilos = 5 tonnes :P

Yeah but is that 20k for pure or 20k for the cut ****e. The value will be an estimate anyway until they have the purity

Tabnabs · 25-09-2014 10:09am

Gotcha

W1ll1s · 25-09-2014 11:30am

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Wonder why they did not wait for the RV and do a bigger capture...

Was wondering that myself, seems the obvious thing to do?
As Mel Gibson said "street value" what street is that!
At least our lads get the glory,does look very low in the water.

Alkers · 25-09-2014 1:41pm

I've read there was 1,100 kg on board - I don't think that's enough to effect the waterline on a boat that big by any significant amount. Although she looks low in the picture above, in the other pictures it looks pretty normal.
https://www.facebook.com/irishnavalservice/photos/a.699881133428119.1073742027.101764433239795/699955110087388/?type=1&theater

Tabnabs · 25-09-2014 2:15pm

If anything, she looks a little light.

1237508_699955246754041_4086560408652413230_n.jpg?oh=540ad86296941194028168087045ce21&oe=54C679F5

miss no stars · 25-09-2014 2:45pm

Yeah! Must have just been the photo on the article...

It does actually look light. Maybe the tanks were about empty by the time they got here...?

noby · 25-09-2014 3:38pm

Tabnabs wrote: »

If anything, she looks a little light.

Missed the obvious "High in the water" pun there...

fergal.b · 25-09-2014 4:06pm

It doesn't look that heavy when you see it like this.

10557424_853542584656417_4841320953024046780_n.jpg?oh=4d21f2f8f97681046d9921c97199589f&oe=5485A779

10557424_853542584656417_4841320953024046780_n.jpg?oh=4d21f2f8f97681046d9921c97199589f&oe=5485A779

Vexorg · 25-09-2014 7:48pm

Those guys in the photo are well kitted out, not sure of the need for the goggles and balaclava type head gear, I suppose it makes for a more dramatic picture, do they need to remain anonymous?

Its a nice sized yacht as well, would be nice to sail on it.

In the spirit of the puns that went before, did anyone tell those guys about all that weed on the hull?

Alkers · 26-09-2014 1:04pm

Vexorg wrote: »

Those guys in the photo are well kitted out, not sure of the need for the goggles and balaclava type head gear, I suppose it makes for a more dramatic picture, do they need to remain anonymous?

I think that in any pictures of them with weapons, that you're not supposed to be able to identify them.

Tow · 26-09-2014 2:32pm

Vexorg wrote: »

Its a nice sized yacht as well, would be nice to sail on it.

I suppose she will be auctioned off like the others, and still no talk of a replacement for the Asgard. Come on lads, we need you to impound a decent tall ship.

miss no stars · 26-09-2014 2:43pm

Feel sorry for the charterer if they weren't involved in the operation. They'll never get the boat back.

Alkers · 26-09-2014 2:53pm

miss no stars wrote: »

Feel sorry for the charterer if they weren't involved in the operation. They'll never get the boat back.

Why is that? Why does the vessel become the property of the Navy / Gardaí? Is there a precedent for this?

miss no stars · 26-09-2014 2:58pm

The wheels of justice move stupidly slowly in this country. That boat will be "held as evidence" until the boyos are convicted (or not) and the charterer is found to be innocent of any wrong doing (or not). Maybe I'm a cynic but somehow I doubt they'll have much joy getting it back.

Tow · 26-09-2014 4:09pm

Simona1986 wrote: »

Why is that? Why does the vessel become the property of the Navy / Gardaí? Is there a precedent for this?

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/drugbust-boats-up-for-auction-26638602.html

Tabnabs · 26-09-2014 4:10pm

Here's another boat to add to the list!

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/second-boat-linked-to-cork-cocaine-haul-seized-by-british-police-1.1942969

Hifive · 28-09-2014 12:54am

Looks like a Maxum 27 or 30 (maybe a Glastron)
The article said they were towed into Killmore having run out of petrol on route from Pwllheli in North Wales.
I've done that trip loads of times in similar vessels, as any cruiser myself or my buddy's have bought from the U.K. we usually arrange to have it delivered as part of the deal, to north Wales (usually Milford Haven actually) and motor them home to Waterford.
The run is only 4 hours start to finish and the range on that boat should be about twice that, so these muppets really didn't plan it very well., to have run out of juice on route!
Maybe there was some sampling of the product along the way.

€100m of coke must weigh a bit...

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