IT is a shocking moment when a mafia drugs trafficker was caught trying to smuggle more than £1.7 million (US$2.24 million) worth of marijuana, while riding on jet skis.

    The jet skis were picked up on camera by a police chopper as they traveled across the Mediterranean sea from Albania towards Italy, in the dead of night.

    And, after being tipped off by coastguards, cops raced to the scene to stop the criminals in their tracks.

    The police chased the jet skis for around 20 minutes before one man dismounted and made a break for the coast.

    However, the other trafficker remained defiant and stayed on the water, where cops circled him until he eventually gave in and was arrested.

    The men were captured just off the coast of Bari, in southern Italy — where the notorious Sacra Corona Unita mafia gang are based.

    However, prior to this, they were both seen throwing several packets of drugs into the sea, which were later recovered by police and found to be marijuana.

    Alongside this, police also found more packets of the drug taped to the back of the vehicles.

    A police spokesperson from Bari, told The Sun, “This was a dangerous operation given the fact it was night time and the traffickers were traveling at high speed across the water.

    “Through the skill of the officers involved we were able to intercept them and arrest them. In total more than 200 kg of marijuana was recovered from the sea and the scooters.”

    (SD-Agencies)