Spanish police have detained a boat as part of the investigation into the discovery of €107m worth of cocaine off the coast of Cork.
The boat, a catamaran, was detained at sea and escorted to the port of La Corona in Spain where it is now under armed guard.
The detention follows a request from detectives in Cork and the Garda National Drugs Unit in Dublin.
Two men have also been detained as part of the investigation.
The catamaran was flying a US flag and Gardaí are now liaising with the Spanish authorities.
Gardaí investigating the origins of what they believe was a larger vessel which transferred the cocaine to the ribs have asked Spanish police to examine charts and other maritime documents found on the boat.
Meanwhile, a fourth man has been arrested by gardaí in connection with last Monday's seizure of cocaine off the coast of west Cork.
He was arrested just after 3pm after being released from Bantry General Hospital.
The man, who is in his 40s, had been in the hospital since Monday after the lifeboat rescued him from waters in Dunlough Bay.
Meanwhile, the sea search for bales of cocaine has been called off due to bad weather conditions.
Customs officers and gardaí had been carrying out a land and sea search for any bales that might still be in the water following Monday's drugs haul in Dunlough Bay.
At least €107m worth of cocaine has already been recovered from the waters off west Cork.
A search involving the LE Orla, customs and garda vessels recommenced at 5am this morning.
Up to now, the search has been concentrated in the area around Dunlough Bay, but it has now been extended to include as far north as Sheep's Head and south to Crookhaven.
Three other men remain in custody at garda stations in west Cork.
A 22-year-old man was arrested on Monday, while gardaí picked up two more men yesterday in the Schull area.
All are being detained under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.
