FOUR men have appeared in court after approximately one tonne of cocaine worth an estimated £200million was seized from a fishing boat off Newquay on Friday afternoon.

Michael Kelly, 45, of Portway, Manchester, Jon Paul Williams, 46, of St Thomas, Swansea, Patrick Godfrey, 30, of Port Tennant, Swansea, and Jake Marchant, 26, of no fixed address, went before Bodmin Magistrates Court on Monday charged with importation of a controlled Class A drug.

No pleas were entered, and the men were remanded in custody to appear at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday, October 15.

Border Force officers intercepted the vessel, named Lily Lola, and the four men on board were arrested.

They were conveyed to police custody to be questioned by the National Crime Agency, which is leading the investigation.

Derek Evans, branch commander of the National Crime Agency, said: "This is a significant amount of cocaine that will represent a huge loss for the organised crime group that attempted to import it into the UK.

"With our partners at Border Force and the Joint Maritime Security Centre, we have successfully removed this harmful drug consignment from the criminal marketplace.

"Its onward supply would have fuelled exploitation through county lines activity as well as serious violence and knife crime.”