Man questioned over €80m Cork drugs seizure released

A 29-year-old man arrested by British law enforcement officers has been released on bail after he was questioned about an €80 million drug smuggling operation foiled by the Irish authorities.

The man from Leeds had been sought by officers from the National Crime Agency in the UK in connection with the foiled plot to import drugs into the UK aboard the yacht, Makayabella which was detained by the Irish Naval Service off the Irish coast last week.

The suspect presented himself at a police station in West Yorkshire on Sunday night and was questioned yesterday by officers from the NCA about the plan to smuggle over a tonne of cocaine into the UK.

He was released on bail today pending further inquiries by the NCA into the drug smuggling plot and he is due to present himself at a West Yorkshire police station again on January 20th, 2015.

NCA officers have also released on bail a 55-year-old woman who was arrested s in West Yorkshire yesterday on suspicion of conspiring to import Class A drugs into the UK.

The latest arrests bring to four the number of people detained in the UK for questioning about the drug smuggling operation involving the 19-metre yacht Makayabella, which was intercepted last week about 400km off Mizen Head, Co Cork.

They follow the arrest last week of a 43-year-old man in the Leeds area who was later released on bail pending further NCA enquiries and the subsequent arrest of Stephen Powell (47) who had been charged in relation to the seizure.

Mr Powell of Netherfield Road, Guiseley was charged with conspiring to import class A drugs when he appeared before Leeds Magistrates on Saturday. He was remanded in custody to appear again on October 13th.

Last week, Mr Powell's father, John Powell (70) along with two other Britons, Benjamin Mellor (35) and Thomas Britteon (28) were each charged at Cork District Court with a single offence relating to the seizure of the tonne of cocaine by a Joint Task Force involving Naval Service, Customs and the Garda.

Each of the accused was charged with possessing cocaine on board the Makayabella on September 23rd with intent to import the drug contrary to Irish legislation or the laws of any other state.

Mr Powell snr of Airedale Mews, Silsden, West Yorkshire, Mr Britteon of Convamore Road, Grimsby, Lincolnshire and Mr Mellor of Mornington Villas, Manningham, Bradford were all remanded in custody to appear in court again by video link on October 2nd.