263 kilos of cocaine on sailing yacht: retired couple in Rostock appear in court
A 59-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife are appearing in court in Rostock, accused of smuggling 263 kg of cocaine by sailboat from South America.
Cocaine smuggling on sailing yacht 'Target': Rostock trial begins
An unusual criminal trial is underway at Rostock Regional Court: a 59-year-old man and his 67-year-old wife are alleged to have transported 263.73 kilograms of cocaine from South America to Europe aboard their sailing yacht 'Target'. The estimated street value is around 15 million francs. According to 20 Minuten, the husband has already admitted to the smuggling – while simultaneously insisting that his wife knew nothing about the drugs.
Portuguese police stopped the yacht in August 2025 near the Azores. Investigators found the large cocaine cargo on board, according to the prosecution. Since then, both defendants have been held in custody pending trial.
Albanian, debts, an affair
In court, the 59-year-old described how he became entangled in the drug network. At his father's deathbed, he met an Albanian and borrowed 20,000 euros from him. Later, this man demanded 60,000 euros back. Because he could not raise the sum, he was offered a trip with the sailing yacht to South America as a way out.
During an earlier journey, he said he met a Colombian woman and began an affair with her. On the return journey, the boat got into distress; he threw overboard approximately 75 kilograms of cocaine that was on board at the time out of fear. After his return to Rostock, his wife asked questions and eventually found out about the affair.
Wife allegedly knew nothing – prosecution sceptical
The defendant states that his wife forgave him and wanted to accompany him on the next trip to Colombia – among other things to save the marriage. That there were more than 260 kilograms of cocaine on board this time, she did not know. His wife is innocent, he is reported to have emphasised several times in his statement.
The prosecution sees the facts differently. According to NDR, the cocaine was hidden distributed throughout virtually the entire boat. Moreover, there is an allegation that the 67-year-old attempted to delete emails after arrest.
Strict security measures in courtroom
The trial is taking place under unusual security precautions: the defendant is wearing a bulletproof vest, masked and armed police officers are deployed, and photographs of the defendants are forbidden.
The 59-year-old faces a prison sentence of several years for an especially serious case of international drug trafficking. The court must now clarify whether the wife truly knew nothing of her husband's activities. Both defendants are presumed innocent.
Source: 20 Minuten