Allegedly, in February 2007, some 100 nautical miles northeast of the Madeira Archipelago, Portuguese frogmen boarded the Spanish-flagged yacht Blaus VII and found 3 Greek sailors and 1500 kilograms of cocaine on board. Today, the aforementioned yacht is called NRP Zarco and is used to teach naval cadets how to sail. Under what legal framework did the Portuguese Navy board and seize the yacht? Was it under the UNCLOS?
What I found
Allegedly, after the seizure in early 2007, the yacht was owned by the Autonomous Region of Madeira, which, in mid 2014, transferred the ownership of the yacht to the Ministry of Defense in exchange for a 17th century fortress in Madeira that was owned by the Portuguese Navy at the time. However, why did the Autonomous Region of Madeira have the right to seize the yacht? How is this not an instance of state-sponsored piracy?
The yacht
In case you are wondering what the yacht looks like, it is approximately 74 feet long. When new, it must have cost some 2-3 million EUR2023.
References
Tribunal do Funchal começou a julgar três gregos por tráfico de droga
Resolução do Conselho de Ministros n.º 44/2014, de 4 de julho
Ministro da Defesa na Madeira para entregar Fortaleza do Pico à região
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