Man quizzed after £48m drugs haul

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Up to a tonne of cocaine in 40 sealed packages was recovered from the sea off the coast of Mizen Head, Ireland's most southerly point.

The consignment, which was on board a dinghy which capsized in rough seas, could be worth up to £48m.

One man, aged in his 20s and believed to be English, was arrested by gardai on Monday and can be held for up to seven days under anti-drugs legislation.

The suspect went out to sea along with another man in the small inflatable dinghy early on Monday morning.

The boat capsized after being caught up in heavy swells and one man managed to swim to shore and raise the alarm at around 8am. A second man, now in gardai custody, was rescued a short time later.

Coastguard and local lifeboat crews joined the search mission on Monday but it quickly turned into a massive drugs squad operation.

Police are investigating a theory that the drugs originated in the Caribbean and a vehicle was waiting on the shore to pick up the consignment.

The drugs were wrapped in white waterproof bales said to be 3ft long by 2ft wide.

Residents reported seeing dozens of them bobbing in the sea off Dun Lough Bay about a mile off shore. Two of them were taken out of the sea by helicopter while lifeboat crews and customs officials recovered more.