Uruguayan authorities confiscated some 2,000 kilos (4,400 lb) of
cocaine yesterday from a British-registered yacht at a small marina on
the outskirts of Montevideo, according to reports in the Latin American
Herald Tribune.

Two people thought to be the owners of the
yacht were arrested after the biggest drug haul in the history of the
South American nation.

Coast guard sources told news agencies
that the seizure followed a six-week investigation that led to a yacht
anchored on the Santa Lucia River in the town of Santiago Vazquez.

Media
outlets said the detainees were Polish or Serbian nationals who bought
the British-registered vessel in Santiago Vazquez a few months ago for
$265,000.

The drugs apparently arrived in Uruguay by sea and were destined for European markets.

Authorities
think the yacht was to be used to transport the cocaine out of coastal
waters for transfer to a larger ship to make the trans-Atlantic voyage.