Nine Turkish men arrested after one of Britain’s biggest drug raids on a ship appeared in court for the second time today.
The MV Hamal vessel was escorted to Aberdeen Harbour after it was intercepted about 100 miles off the coast of the city on April 24.
The Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset and the Border Force cutter Valiant had received a tip-off from French marine authorities.
Three tonnes of cocaine worth more than £500 million was allegedly seized following a raid on the Tanzanian-registered tug boat.
The nine men appeared in private on petition on drug charges at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday following their first brief court appearance last month.
Mustafa Ceviz, 54, Ibrahim Dag,47, Mumin Sahin, 45, Mahammet Seckin, 26, Umit Colakel, 38, Kayacan Dalgakiran, 63, and Emin Ozmen, 50, who are all from Istanbul, have all been charged with a drug trafficking offence.
Abdulkadir Cirik, 31, from Mersin, and Mustafa Guven, 47, from Yozgat, also face the same charge.
The men made no plea or declaration and were all fully committed and remanded in custody.
They all faced the same charge of possession of a controlled drug under the Criminal Justice (International Co-operation) Act 1990.
They are expected to appear in court again at a later date.