Four men detained following €31m drug seizure in Cork
Revenue officers and Gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped and searched a van in the Courtmacsherry area, where a significant quantity of suspected cocaine was discovered.
Four men are now being detained in different Garda stations in Cork following the seizure of drugs with an estimated value in excess of €31m during a Joint Task Force drugs operation in the Courtmacsherry of West Cork earlier today.
Two men, one aged in his 40s and another in his 30s, were arrested this morning when the van they were travelling in was stopped in the seaside village. The men are now being detained in Bandon Garda Station under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.
According to a statement from An Garda Síochána, a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with a further two males on board departed Broadstrand in Courtmacsherry and the LE William Butler Yeats, which was on patrol in the area as part of the JTF operation, responded with support from a maritime patrol aircraft from the Irish Air Corps. This aircraft provided overhead surveillance during the operation as two Naval Service RIBs with members of the ship’s Maritime Interdiction Team were launched from the LE William Butler Yeats. These crafts intercepted the suspect RIB off the coast of Cork.
“The suspect RIB was detained by Revenue Customs Service and the two males were taken on board the L.É. William Butler Yeats,” a spokesperson said.
“The LE William Butler Yeats returned to Haulbowline Naval Base and both males (also aged in their 30s and 40s) have been arrested by Gardaí and are currently detained in a Garda Station in Co Cork under Section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007.”
The value of the drugs seized was estimated to be in excess of €31m but this is pending an analysis by Forensic Science Ireland.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Simon Harris has commended the members of the Gardaí, the Defence Forces, the Naval Service and the Revenue for their role in the operation which led to the drugs seizure.
Mr Harris posted a message of congratulations on his social media platforms after receiving an update on the joint agency operation from the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces, Brigadier General Rossa Mulcahy.
Two men have been arrested following the seizure of a large quantity of suspected cocaine in West Cork.
This morning, as part of an intelligence-led joint operation, Revenue officers and Gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped and searched a van in the Courtmacsherry area, where a significant quantity of suspected cocaine was discovered.
The seizure was made as a result of a Joint Task Force (JTF) operation, comprising members of An Garda Síochána, Revenue’s Customs Service, the Irish Naval Service, and the Irish Air Corps.
The exact quantity and value of the drugs recovered from the scene are yet to be determined, but they are estimated to be worth around €30 million.
Two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, have been arrested on suspicion of organised crime offences and are currently being detained at a Garda station in county Cork under section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.
An investigation into the seizure is currently underway.
West Cork Fine Gael Senator Noel O’Donovan commended the work of local and national units of An Garda Síochána as well as the Naval Service and Air Corps in the major drugs bust.
O’Donovan said the two arrested suspects attempted to flee from the patrolling navy in a rigid hulled inflatable boat (PHIB).
“Early indications say this operation was under surveillance for the last number of days so that is a testament to all involved for their professionalism and success in combating the importation of drugs into this country and it’s further transportation,” he said.
“This is a significant detection – the biggest drug bust in the country this year. In West Cork, we are well aware how narcotics can be smuggled into this country and the European continent.
“All involved in this operation – An Garda Síochána, Naval Service, Air Corps – have worked extremely well together and shown their capabilities in taking on evil criminal gangs and international drug smugglers.
"‘This capture highlights again the increased need for further Garda resources in West Cork - more Gardai patrolling our rural areas prevents and deters criminal activity."
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