Two Irishmen were remanded in custody until the beginning of May after appearing before a Dutch examining magistrate charged with importation and possession of cannabis said to have a street value of up to £10 million.
The Irishmen were named as Mr Patrick Murphy (48) and Mr Garreth Williams (55), both of Dublin. Three Britons were also arrested: Mr Francis Allen (49) of New Redford in England; Mr Daniel Kenny (20) of Edinburgh, and Mr Andrew Thomas (59) of Bristol.
They were arrested at a marina near Amsterdam. More than 1,160 kg of cannabis was allegedly being handled by the five aboard a luxury high-speed motor cruiser, Hollywood Seven.
The drugs were intended for markets in Britain and Ireland, according to the Dutch public prosecution service.