Promotion for garda who oversaw probes into State’s biggest drug busts

One of the county’s most respected crime-fighters has been appointed Garda Assistant Commissioner in the Southern Region.

Cork-born Tony Quilter has been involved in the country’s biggest drugs seizures and played a leading role in Northern Bank robbery investigation.

He is currently serving as detective chief superintendent in Dublin and is director of the Garda National Drugs Bureau.

Assistant Commissioner Quilter, who joined the gardaí in 1982, oversaw the investigations into the two biggest drugs importation cases in the history of the State. In July 2007 €400 million worth of cocaine was seized by gardaí at Dunlough Bay, Mizen Head, Co Cork.

The following year the 60ft yacht Dances With Waves was seized off the West Cork Coast carrying 1.6 tonnes of cocaine, with a street value of €440m.

For a number of years Assistant Commissioner Quilter worked in Cork.

After a brief spell in Tipperary he returned to Cork where in 1993 he set up the city’s Crime Task Force, which mainly battled drugs barons.

He will replace Assistant Commissioner Dónall O Cualáin as the most senior garda in the Southern Region. He in turn is transferring to Galway.

Flor Murphy, who has served as for a number of years as an inspector in the Assistant Commissioner’s office, is also being promoted. The 49-year-old native of Kerry will feel very much at home when he takes over as superintendent in charge of the Killarney Garda District.

Detective Inspector Daniel Keane has also been promoted to the position of superintendent.

A native of West Cork he has worked on every major crime in Kerry for a number of years.

He is taking up a posting at Roxboro Road Garda District in Limerick.