Four men arrested after €31m cocaine seizure and attempted boat getaway in Cork

Eva Osborne

Four men in total have been arrested after cocaine valued in excess of €31 million was seized by Revenue Customs Service.

On Tuesday morning, gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a van in the Courtmacsherry area of Co Cork when the cocaine was seized.

The two males (30s and 40s) arrested while travelling in the van remain detained in a Garda Station in Co Cork under Section 50 Criminal Justice Act 2007.

A Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) with two males on board departed from Broadstrand, Courtmacsherry.

The Irish Naval ship, L.É. William Butler Yeats on patrol in the area as part of the Joint Task Force operation responded, supported by a Maritime patrol aircraft from the Irish Air Corps, who provided overhead surveillance during the operation.

Two Naval Service rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RIBs), with members of ships armed Maritime interdiction Team, were launched from L.É. William Butler Yeats and 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.

The L.É. 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.

Gardaí said further updates will be provided in due course.