Detectives from the Royal Gibraltar Police Crime & Protective Services Division, led by the RGP Drug Squad, and supported by the RGP and HM Custom’s Marine Units, boarded a bulk carrier in Gibraltar’s Western Anchorage yesterday afternoon, as part of an operation that saw a team of divers retrieving a “parasite device” attached to the vessel’s hull.

Crime Scene Investigators found the device to contain individually wrapped packages containing cocaine, weighing around 25 kilograms, with an approximate street value of between £1.5 - £2 million.

Upon completion of police interviews and searches conducted with the assistance of HM Customs Dog Section, the vessel was allowed to proceed on its journey late yesterday evening.

Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger, said: “The RGP is proud to continue to be part of the global fight against drugs. This is a great result and will dent the efforts of organised crime groups to profit from the misery of others. This has been an excellent collaboration with external partners.”