German police foil international drug trafficking ring

BERLIN, Oct 31, 2012 (AFP)

German police have broken up a suspected drug trafficking ring that allegedly transported cocaine and cannabis by yacht to Europe from South America and Morocco, officials said Wednesday.

Over the course of a six-month investigation, eight people in all — six Germans and two Britons — were arrested and are being held, a police spokesman in the northern city of Luebeck said.

Another 15 German suspects are still under investigation, the spokesman Stefan Muhtz said.

The probe, which began in April on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, saw German police work with  authorities in Spain, Portugal and France.

In one haul in July, Portuguese police made four arrests and seized 178 kilogrammes (392 pounds) of cocaine worth nine million euros ($12 million) while it was being taken to a hotel on the coast after being transported by yacht.

Some 350 police and customs officers took part in a bust Tuesday across four German states, the culmination of the investigation.

Seven cannabis plantations, with 2,000 plants in all, were also seized as well as weapons and cash during the search of homes, offices and commercial property.