Captain admits he feared for crew on night of arrests

ONE of the largest and most daring drugs seizures ever made in the north Atlantic put “Ireland Inc” on the map as a force to be reckoned with in the global fight against trafficking.

As about €400 million worth of cocaine was sailed in to Co Cork under armed guard, Irish authorities suddenly found themselves the toast of the world’s enforcement authorities.

Lieutenant Commander Martin Brett was captain of the naval ship LE Niamh as the drama unfolded.

He admitted he feared for the safety of his boarding crew who, under darkness, took to the inflatables in 270kmph winds off the coast to take control of yacht Dances with Waves.

“It was dangerous, the risks were high, but we assessed those risks,” said Lt Cdr Brett. “These guys are trained to do this job.

“It was gale force conditions. We had a large swell from the Atlantic and quite a choppy and a confused sea to deal with.

“This made the operation more hazardous and difficult, not just for the ships but particularly for the Rib crews and the boarding team.”

Under the command of the Irish Joint Task Force (JTF) on Drug Interdiction and Commander Eugene Ryan from HQ in Haulbowline, Co Cork, crews moved to carry out the navy’s first arrest on the high seas.

Lt Cdr Brett praised the officer who risked his life guiding the boarding team.

“To lead a team in those conditions, at night when there was a significant danger and threat to life, it takes a special quality and a lot of the credit is due to him in this operation,” he added.

“Every team needs a leader and when it got to the hairy bit he stood up to it.”

Lt Cdr Brett said the skills used during the dramatic boarding and recovery were developed during normal duties.

“The physical practicalities of our job are the same every day with just the circumstances changing,” he added.

“The navy are out there every day of the year patrolling, today it can be big drugs, tomorrow it could be search and rescue, or fisheries.”