The jury in an international drugs smuggling trial has heard how officers formed a human chain to unload 129 bales of cocaine from a tug boat.

National Crime Agency officer Alistair Gow was giving evidence at the trial of nine Turkish sailors who deny smuggling cocaine.

The High Court in Glasgow heard on Thursday that the tug MV Hamal was boarded in international waters 100 miles out and then brought back to Aberdeen harbour, where the huge quantity of the drug was found hidden in a ballast tank.

Mr Gow told prosecutor Ashley Edwards that two forensic tents were set up on the deck of the ship and as the 129 bales were taken out of their hiding place they were put into plastic bags and labelled.

He said: "They were coming up from the hatch and were being handed from officer to officer. Each bale was about 30 kilos in weight."

This would mean the total weight of the 129 bales was 3870kg.

When asked how long it took to remove all the bales Mr Gow said: "It was over a couple of days they were removed."

The court heard a crane was brought to the quayside to move the bales off the ship.

Mr Gow said: "The bales were put inside tarpaulin and netting and lifted on to the quay where there was a van waiting to transport them."

The nine-strong Turkish crew of the MV Hamal are on trial accused of being involved in an international drug-smuggling operation by smuggling cocaine from Istanbul in Turkey via Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain, to South America, and then to the North Sea between February and April 2015.

They are further alleged to have been concerned in the supply of the class A drug between April 21 and 23.

Kayacan Dalgakiran, 64; Mustafa Guven, 48; Mustafa Ceviz, 55; Umit Colakel, 39; Ibrahim Dag, 48; Mumin Sahin, 46; Emin Ozmen, 51; Abdulkadir Cirik, 32, and Muhammet Seckin, 27, deny the charges against them.

The trial before Judge Lord Kinclaven continues.