A MAN with an Irish passport who is accused of drug smuggling was arrested by Spanish police on Wednesday and remained in custody last night. A court hearing will be held to decide if his case will go to full trial. Yesterday was a public holiday in Spain, and police said the hearing to decide on a full trial could take place today. The 39 year old man, carrying an Irish passport in the name of James Thorpe, was arrested as police seized a motor launch carrying cannabis worth an estimated £10 million.
Also arrested were a 32 year old Briton with a passport in the name of Robert Kennedy, and a Moroccan.
The vessel carried packs of cannabis which were said to have stilled almost the entire boat", according to police.
The 10 metre Andoni, which appears to have come directly from Morocco, was picked up on the radar of a police boat as it approached Spain's south east coast. The launch, travelling without lights in the dark on Wednesday morning, did not stop when challenged and police pursued it.
It was seized at dawn at the Isla de Altea, near Benidorm, when the drugs were discovered and the three men arrested.