At least a dozen people were detained on suspicion of smuggling more than $2 million worth of cocaine aboard the MSC Opera cruise ship when it docked in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal earlier this week.
According to The Telegraph, a pair of British nationals were among the group that was busted after local police and members from Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) recovered approximately 18 kilograms (almost 40 pounds) of cocaine with an estimated street value of $2.6 million.
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The cocaine was allegedly hidden in crisp packets and ceramic bowls that were stashed in suitcases.
Six of the 12 people arrested were passengers on the ship traveling from the West Indies while the remaining six had recently traveled to Madeira. It’s suspected that the latter group was planning to meet the ship when it docked on March 24.
“Working with our Portuguese colleagues we have been able to act on intelligence at speed and prevent this quantity of drugs from reaching its final destination,” Allan Round, NCA operations manager at the Joint Border Intelligence Unit, told The Telegraph.
“Once in the U.K., we know cocaine generates huge profits for criminal networks who are also involved in street violence and exploitation, so stopping it will help reduce the harm caused by them.”
The incident comes just months after a British couple in their seventies were arrested after authorities discovered 22 pounds of cocaine in their cabin aboard the Marco Polo cruise ship while it was docked in Lisbon, Portugal.
In 2017, authorities in New Zealand busted a French cruise ship passenger with 24 kilograms of cocaine, which had an estimated street value of up to $10.8 million.
