Colombian-Honduran deal leads to drug plane seizure

The Piper PA 34 was spotted in Colombian airspace

The Honduran and Colombian air forces say an agreement on intelligence sharing has allowed them to seize a plane with 470kg (1036lb) of cocaine.

The Colombians became suspicious when they detected an unregistered light aircraft, which had not filed a flight plan, leaving for Central America.

They alerted their Honduran counterparts, and were able to follow it all the way to Honduras.

The Honduran air force boarded the craft and seized the drugs.

The Colombian Air Force said the new intelligence-sharing deal, which came into force in July, helped them co-ordinate the operation with their Honduran colleagues and allowed them to act quickly.

The two forces carried out joint operations last month in an effort to "close the Caribbean airspace to drug traffickers".

Honduras is a main gateway for cocaine smuggled from Colombia.