Men held after €200,000 of drugs found in airport luggage

TWO South African men were being questioned by gardaí last night after a Department of Agriculture official found €200,000 worth of cannabis resin concealed in their luggage when they arrived at Cork Airport.

The official was carrying out routine inspections on luggage belonging to non-EU nationals when he discovered the consignment and notified gardaí. He had been searching for meat which might be contaminated with Foot and Mouth.

Drugs Squad detectives believe South African based drugs barons have decided to smuggle drugs through smaller Irish airports because of the recent rise in seizures at Dublin Airport, many of which have led to the arrest of South African couriers.

The two men were arrested at lunchtime yesterday and taken to Togher Garda Station.

They were being held last night under Section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act 1996. They can be detained for seven days.

“The two men are white and both from South Africa. They are aged 22 and 23. The Garda National Drugs Bureau is checking with South African police to establish their exact identities,” a senior garda spokesman said.

He said the 40 kilos of cannabis resin were found concealed in two suitcases. The drugs were wrapped in heavy tape.

“They flew into Cork from Heathrow. They had earlier taken a flight from Johannesburg to London,” the garda spokesman said.

Gardaí believe the drugs were destined for the Christmas market but are unsure if they were destined for Cork or Dublin. With several seizures in Cork Airport made, this is believed to be the biggest to date.