Bermuda's Police are helping an international drugs investigation after a boat laden with half a tonne of cocaine was seized in the Island.

The Royal Gazette understands the yacht came into the Island over Cup Match on its way from the Caribbean to Spain after its crew found the drug on their boat.

The boat was then impounded at Morgan's Point - the former USNaval Annex in Southampton - while Police traced the ownership of the vessel.

Informed sources have said that Bermudian officers then took the drugs with them to Europe to continue the investigation last Wednesday.

Last night Police released a sparse report on the investigation.

The statement said: "Following the arrival of a ship experiencing some mechanical difficulty in Bermudian waters, it became apparent that some of the crew may have been attempting to import a large quantity of illegal drugs into Europe.

"The Bermuda Police Service is currently assisting British authorities in this ongoing inquiry.

"In order not to prejudice and impede this inquiry we are unable to comment further at this time."

Police spokesman Coleman Easton could not say what had happened to the boat, whether there had been any arrests or why the British Police were involved even though the boat was not bound for Britain.

He said: "I assume they are based out of Britain."

Police could not confirm whether the bust - worth hundreds of millions of dollars - represents the biggest ever made in Bermuda.