A National Crime Agency officer has told a jury that he and colleagues formed a human chain to unload 129 bales of cocaine from a tug.
Alistair Gow was giving evidence at the trial of nine Turkish sailors who deny smuggling the Class A drug.
The High Court in Glasgow heard the tug MV Hamal was boarded in international waters 100 miles off the north-east coast then taken to Aberdeen harbour where the cocaine was found hidden in a ballast tank.
Mr Gow told advocate depute Ashley Edwards, prosecuting, that two protective tents were set up on the deck of the ship and as the 129 bales were taken out of their hiding place they were put into plastic bags and labelled.
He and two colleagues were wearing forensic suits, masks and gloves.
He said: “They were coming up from the hatch and were being handed from officer to officer.
“Each bale was about 30 kilos (66lb) in weight.”
This would mean the total weight of the 129 bales was 3.8 tonnes.
When asked how long it took to get all the bales off the tug, Mr Gow said: “It was over a couple of days they were removed.”
The court heard a crane was brought to the quayside to move the bales off the ship.
Mr Gow said: “The bales were put inside tarpaulin and netting and lifted on to the quay where there was a van waiting to transport them.”
The nine-strong Turkish crew of the MV Hamal are on trial accused of being involved in an international drug-smuggling operation.by smuggling cocaine from Istanbul via Tenerife to South America, and then to the North Sea between February and April 2015.
They are also alleged to have been concerned in the supply of the class A drug between April 21 and 23.
Kayacan Dalgakiran, 64, Mustafa Guven, 48, Mustafa Ceviz, 55, Umit Colakel, 39, Ibrahim Dag, 48, Mumin Sahin, 46, Emin Ozmen, 51, Abdulkadir Cirik, 32, and Muhammet Seckin, 27, deny the charges against them.
The trial, before judge Lord Kinclaven, continues.
