EU narcotics agency boss deems operation ‘huge success’

THE head of the EU agency involved in Thursday’s cocaine haul described the operation as a “huge success”.

Tim Manhire, director of the Maritime Analysis and Operation Centre-Narcotics, commended Ireland for taking such a “prominent role” in the agency’s work.

“Most of our activity to date has been further south,” he said, referring to Spain and Portugal where an estimated two-thirds of Europe’s cocaine hauls are made.

“This demonstrates there is cocaine in large lumps reaching northern Europe on a direct basis and to work alongside Ireland and other partners on this operation has proved a huge success.

“You can imagine the atmosphere at the centre over the last 24 hours: one of jubilation.”

MAOC-N, based in Lisbon, was officially launched in September 2007 but had been in the process of being set up for the previous year.

It brings together most of the countries affected by cocaine trafficking and high levels of cocaine use: Spain, Portugal, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Britain and Ireland.

Ireland is represented by the Irish Drugs Joint Task Force of An Garda Síochána, the Customs Service and the Naval Service.

“What each country is doing in terms of the particular law enforcement activity is entirely their responsibility,” Mr Manhire said.

“What we do then is to co-ordinate the interdiction. Agencies will talk to each other, together with military counterparts from various countries and a plan will come about — the best course of action that we can do that can create the most discomfort to serious organised crime.”

Ireland can access intelligence from the other countries and, critically, seek to use their assets: namely navy and air power that Ireland does not have.

Justice Minister Dermot Ahern hailed the agency: “It is virtually impossible on a 24-hour basis to police our shores. This shows the benefit of working together. With this operation in Lisbon — for a relatively small sum of taxpayers’ money — we can use the intelligence, use the assets, to guard the 16% of EU waters around Ireland. It’s a win-win situation for us.”

MAOC-N has been involved in the seizure of 30 tonnes of cocaine in its first full year of existence.