Four men charged following €31m drugs seizure in west Cork

Michael Bolton

Four men have been charged over the seizure of €31 million worth of cocaine in Courtmacsherry in west Cork on Tuesday.

Gardaí from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a van in the Courtmacsherry area of County Cork, and a large quantity of suspected cocaine was recovered.

The men, aged in their 30s and 40s,are expected to appear before a sitting of Bandon District Court on Thursday morning.

Two other men, also in their 30s and 40s, have now also been charged and will be in court on Thursday morning.

As part of Tuesday's Joint Task Force operation, a larger motor vessel (ship) was identified in connection with this investigation. This motor vessel has been searched by Customs Revenue Service and An Garda Síochána.

Interviews have also been carried out with crew members.

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) were arrested.