The Azores and Norderney: Drug smuggling and illegal possession worth millions

Whilst the police seized drugs from an island resident’s boat in the harbour of Norderney, a trial concerning an alleged cocaine shipment from Colombia to Europe began at Rostock Regional Court on 12 August. The defendants are a 59-year-old man and a 67-year-old woman from the Rostock district. The prosecution accuses them of transporting around 264 kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Europe on a sailing yacht.

According to the prosecution, the two are alleged to have purchased a yacht as early as 2024 with the intention of using it to transport cocaine to Germany. They first sailed to Colombia and then back across the Atlantic. The yacht was intercepted by Portuguese investigators near the Azores. The officers found more than 260 kilograms of cocaine on board.

Drug smuggling worth millions

​The public prosecutor’s office estimates the alleged street value of the drugs at around 16 million euros. The two defendants have been in pre-trial detention since the raid. They are charged with trafficking in narcotics in a substantial quantity and with conspiracy to commit a criminal offence.

More on the subject of drug smuggling:

• ​Smuggling: Catamaran carrying cocaine worth 36 million euros seized

​The trial in Rostock began amid strict security measures. Masked police officers were present in the courtroom and filming of the defendants was prohibited. The indictment was read out at the start of the proceedings. The defence lawyers indicated that their clients might comment on the charges as the trial progressed. However, they wished to wait until the examination of evidence began.

The next day of the trial is scheduled for a week later, when a Portuguese police officer is due to appear via video link and give evidence as a witness. The Regional Court has scheduled a further twelve hearings. The trial is expected to last until mid-October 2026.

Divers in action following a drug discovery on Norderney

​On the evening of 4 August, officers from the Norderney police station searched a sailing boat in the marina on the East Frisian island. The search was carried out at the request of the Aurich Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to the investigators, the search was prompted by evidence of illegal drug possession and the unauthorised trafficking of narcotics.

A diver was also deployed to search the water around the boat. According to the Aurich police, officers seized around 100 grams of cocaine, as well as several hundred grams of hashish and cannabis, on the yacht itself. They also confiscated data storage devices, drug paraphernalia and other potential evidence.

​The investigation is focused on the 43-year-old owner of the boat, who lives on Norderney. Two days after the search, he was taken into custody on the island. A magistrate at Emden Local Court issued a remand order at the request of the public prosecutor’s office. The suspect has been held in a prison facility ever since. The analysis of the evidence seized and the investigations into the man’s associates are ongoing.