Agency rewards Irish role in drugs seizures

History was made by two law enforcement officials when they became the first Irishmen to be presented with an award by Britain’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) for their role in seizing nearly €1bn of drugs.

Recently retired Naval Service Commander Eugene Ryan and Drugs Squad Det Sgt Fergal Foley were given a “Meritorious Award” by SOCA’s director general Trevor Pearse at a ceremony in Westminster.

Both men took very active roles in investigating two major drug cocaine seizures off the South-West coast.

The first, Operation Cayman, happened when security services seized drugs after a dinghy capsized in Dunlough Bay, near Mizen Head in 2007.

The second, Operation Seabight, which took place between Nov 2-Nov 12, 2008, culminated in the navy boarding the yacht Dances With Waves 132 miles off Mizen Head. The craft contained more cocaine.

Commander Ryan was responsible for piecing together that the yacht was destined to unload its illicit cargo off the coast of Anglesea, Wales, and together with Det Sgt Foley and a dedicated team of gardaí they were able to prove that the mastermind behind the operation was John Alan Brooks, an Englishman who lived in Spain.

Both gave vital evidence at his trial in Birmingham last year which resulted in him being sentenced to 28 years in jail.

“Thousands of man hours were put into the investigation both here, in the UK, mainland Europe, and the Caribbean. It involved tracking the movement of five fraudulently obtained genuine passports [used by Brooks[, checking mobile and satellite phone traffic etc,” said Det Sgt Foley.

“A phone on the Dances With Waves established he [Brooks] was in contact with it just prior to it being boarded. It was a huge jigsaw which was put together and myself and Commander Ryan were the two main prosecution witnesses in his case. John Alan Brooks was one of the main drug trafficking facilitators in Western Europe,” he said.

Det Sgt Foley added that co-operation between the Garda and Naval Service was crucial in cracking the case and that their expertise had been recognised by SOCA.

“I am happy to accept such an award on behalf of all the garda team who worked on the cases,” said Det Sgt Foley.

Ex-Commander Ryan, who was in charge of naval fleet operations, said he had tracked Dances With Waves all the way across the Atlantic before the navy boarded her.

He found a series of numbers on board which he deciphered and used to plot the eventual destination of the vessel.

“I worked on that for over two months,” he said.

The drugs had been sourced in Venezuela by Brooks who organised nearly every aspect of their transportation.

Chief Supt Tom Hayes, who is in charge of policing West Cork, proved this coastline was often used by drugs gangs.

“I would ask the public to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious seaborne activity immediately,” he said.