UK couple in their seventies caught on Caribbean cruise with cocaine haul

An elderly pair of British travellers have been detained after Portuguese authorities caught them carrying ‘a large amount of cocaine’ whilst traveling onboard a cruise ship returning from the Caribbean.

Searches of the cabin occupied by the suspects revealed four suitcases that “ingeniously concealed” a high amount of the illegal drug.

It’s been confirmed by Portuguese authorities that two British nationals were arrested; a 70-year-old and 72-year-old.

The pair were travelling on Cruise & Maritime Voyages' Marco Polo cruise ship and were caught red-handed when they docked into Lisbon’s Port Cruise Terminal.

In a statement on their website, The Policia Judiciaria in Portugal said: ‘In the cabin that was occupied by the suspects, four suitcases [were found] in whose structures was concealed a high amount of product, more specifically cocaine.’

The arrests came after Portuguese Police were tipped off by the UK’s National Crime Agency.

The pair, who remain unnamed, are being held in prison after appearing in a closed court hearing.