This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Two men have been charged after a yacht carrying what is thought to be the second-biggest haul of cocaine found in the UK was intercepted off the coast of Cornwall.

The Dutch nationals were arrested after two tonnes of cocaine were found aboard the vessel, which was escorted 120 miles to the harbour of Newlyn, a popular Cornish seaside town.

Dutch nationals Maarten Peter Pieterse, 59, and Emile Adriaan Jeroen Schoemaker, 44, appeared before Bristol magistrates court on Saturday via-video link from the Cornish town of Camborne. They were accused of being “knowingly concerned in the carrying or concealing of controlled drug of class A, namely cocaine”.

Pieterse did not enter a plea, and Schoemaker pleaded not guilty. They have been remanded in custody and are due to appear at Bristol crown court on 20 August.

Officers discovered dozens of bales of cocaine wrapped in plastic in a compartment beneath the decking area at the stern of the boat.

The largest cocaine seizure in the UK came in 2015 when a yacht was raided off the coast of Aberdeen and more than three tonnes – with an estimated street value of £512m – was found aboard.

The latest interception followed an international operation involving police in Portugal, France and the Netherlands along with the UK’s National Maritime Information Centre and the joint Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics in Lisbon.

Andy Quinn, the National Crime Agency’s regional head of investigations, said: “This is … one of the largest seizures of class A ever in the UK, and with a potential street value likely to be in the hundreds of millions.

“While the end destination is unclear at this stage, I’ve no doubt that this was destined for the European market. At least a proportion of this cocaine would have ended up here in the UK, sold by drugs gangs who are also involved in intimidation, exploitation and violence.

“This seizure will be a major hit to the international criminal networks involved.”

After the Netherlands-registered SY Marcia was intercepted, police temporarily closed Newlyn harbour, home to one of the largest fishing fleets in the UK and an established tourist destination, as officers searched the vessel a short distance offshore.



The prosecutor Andy Young applied for the two Dutch men to be remanded in custody on Saturday and also suggested the haul may yet increase. “The searches are ongoing and therefore more maybe on there,” he said.

Pieterse and Schoemaker spoke to the court only to confirm their names, dates of birth, Dutch nationality and to say that they did not have UK addresses.

Newlyn’s harbourmaster had earlier explained that the port had been briefly closed for public safety reasons while the raid was carried out.

The Border Force cutter HMC Vigilant, whose primary brief is to detect “prohibited and restricted goods” in UK waters, docked in the harbour after the raid was complete.

The National Crime Agency, which led the investigation, said: “Our operation at the harbour will continue over the weekend with ongoing support from Border Force and Devon and Cornwall police.”

The haul eclipses by far the previous largest seizure of cocaine off the south-west of England. The fishing boat Bianca was intercepted off the coast of Cornwall in 2016 with almost a tonne onboard.

The boat’s skipper, Michael McDermott, was jailed for 16 years, and his shipmates, David Pleasants and Gerald Van de Kooij, were jailed for 14 and 12 years respectively.