Royal Navy announces record cocaine bust

LONDON One of its ships, the HMS Iron Duke, engaged in a dramatic gun battle with an old fishing boat off the coast of South America on Sept. 15. In a statement, officials said they launched the operation after Navy helicopters spotted the fishing boat acting suspiciously in an area known for drug trafficking.

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Once on the boat, Navy officials found five-and-a-half tons of cocaine hidden under a concrete floor.

It took them 24-hours to dig out all the drugs.

The cocaine is estimated to have a street value of $384-million.

The Royal Navy did not reveal exactly where the operation took place, citing security reasons.

It's not clear where the drugs were headed.

AP contributed to this report.

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