Cocaine worth up to €20m seized in Cork

GARDAÍ and Customs seized cocaine with a potential street value of between €16 million and €20m in north Cork last evening.

In what is thought to be the largest land seizure of cocaine in the history of the state, officers raided a warehouse in Ballynakilla, Bartlemy, where 80kg of the drugs were being stored for distribution in the Irish and British markets on behalf of an international drug smuggling gang.

Five men of German, Irish and Hungarian origin were being detained in Garda stations in Cork and Dublin last night.

The seizure was the result of a joint operation between Customs and the Garda National Drugs Unit, backed by officers from the Cork city and North Cork Garda divisions.

They also had international co-operation with Europol, Interpol and Dutch law enforcement agencies.

Together they carried out a strategic intelligence-led investigation.

The drugs came to Cork Port from Rotterdam, Netherlands, a number of weeks ago labelled as fruit and concealed within pallets.

It is believed the cocaine may have originated in Latin America.

Thanks to the joint operation, the gardaí were able to have the consignment under surveillance over that period, with resources used around the clock to monitor the haul and activity around it.

One Garda source said, while the drugs in their bulk form were worth about €5m-€6m, once cut up, mixed and sold, they could net criminals up to €20m. Chief Superintendent Kieran McGann said yesterday’s haul was “the biggest inland seizure of cocaine in the history of the state”.

“It was a tremendous joint operation between An Garda Síochána and Customs.”

Two men, a 56-year-old German national and a 45-year-old Irishman, were arrested at the warehouse in North Cork at 4.15pm. It is understood the Irishman is from the Bartlemy/Rathcormac area.

In follow-up searches, two other Irishmen, aged 42 and 65 years, were arrested in Dublin. Both are understood to be Dublin natives. A 46-year-old Hungarian was arrested in Cork.

All five were last night being detained under section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Cobh, Crumlin, Terenure and Midleton Garda stations.

Customs said the drugs have been removed to a secure location where an in-depth search of the consignment will be undertaken. Officers will also seek to establish the exact purity of the haul.

Since taking up the post in January, Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has prioritised the targeting of organised crime gangs trafficking drugs into Ireland. Yesterday’s seizure brings to €13m the value of bulk cocaine seized this year.

The biggest seizure this year prior to yesterday came in May when 29kg of cocaine, with a street value of €2m, was discovered during a raid on a “drug mixing and distribution” factory at an apartment in Navan, Co Meath.

Following yesterday’s operation, gardaí are continuing a follow-up investigation which, it is believed, could last a number of days.