Heroin seizure: Gardaí and Revenue trying to establish who is behind massive haul 

The illegal drugs were discovered when a truck and low-loader trailer, arriving into Ireland from mainland Europe, was stopped and searched by Revenue officers.

Revenue and Gardaí are trying to establish who is behind what is thought to be by far the biggest ever seizure of heroin in Ireland, with 88kgs seized at Rosslare port.

Follow-up search operations have taken place in Britain, suggesting the prospect that a British gang or a British-Irish coalition of gangs may have been involved, possibly in conjunction with other European networks.

Revenue is investigating the smuggling operation with the assistance of sister agencies across the continent, with inquiries “throughout Europe”.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau is also conducting inquiries.

The consignment – with an estimated street value of €12.3m – was uncovered by Revenue based on intelligence they had gathered.

Revenue’s mobile X-ray scanner, along with two drug detector dogs, was used to find the drugs. The heroin was concealed inside machinery that was being carried on the trailer of a truck.

The 88kgs dwarfs the annual totals of heroin seized in recent years – compared to 30.5kgs in 2019, 18kgs in 2017, 61.7 kgs in 2015 and 61kgs in 2013.

The biggest single seizures of heroin in recent years were 22kgs in August 2020, 15kgs in November 2018 and 32.5kgs in February 2015.

“This is a Revenue operation and is probably the biggest ever seizure of heroin in Ireland,” said one security source.

Searches conducted in Britain

A number of searches were conducted in Britain following the seizure in Rosslare. It is understood that while no one was arrested in relation to the seizure that a suspect was connected to it.

“It suggests some sort of UK connection, but to what extent we don’t know,” said a source. “It does not necessarily mean it was destined for here.” 

The sheer size of the haul, 88kgs, might support that theory. Alternatively, it may have been broken up between Irish and British gangs.

Sources said that with Brexit, shipments from the continent to Britain are subject to more checks than shipments from the continent to Ireland.

“There are new trade routes now and a lot more traffic is coming into Rosslare,” a source said.

But if it was bound for the UK, the consignment would either have to board a ferry to Britain from Ireland or be driven North and cross the sea there.

“Heroin tends to be moved on very quickly when it comes in,” said one source. “They do not hold on to it for long. Where it was going will form part of the investigation.” 

Sources indicate there are very few Irish operators trafficking massive consignments of heroin, with a notorious family outfit based in Ballyfermot, west Dublin, likely to be on their short list.

This gang, led by two brothers, dominates the heroin trade in Ireland and has been operating for well over a decade.

It runs independently to the largest drug network in the country, the Kinahan cartel, which has previously trafficked in heroin, along with its traditional drugs, cocaine and cannabis.

But it is not believed seizures of this scale have been trafficked before and that if Irish gangs are involved, it is probably with British outfits.

'The search was carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dogs Sam and Flynn [pictured]. The product was discovered concealed in machinery being carried on the low-loader." File picture

A Revenue statement said: “As part of an intelligence-led operation, Revenue officers at Rosslare Europort detected and seized approximately 88kgs of a product, which based on preliminary analysis is believed to be heroin. The estimated street value of the seizure is €12.3m.” 

It said the drugs were discovered when a truck and low-loader trailer, arriving into Ireland from mainland Europe, was stopped and searched by Revenue officers.

“The search was carried out with the assistance of Revenue’s mobile x-ray scanner and detector dogs Sam and Flynn. The product was discovered concealed in machinery being carried on the low-loader.” 

It added: “Investigations are ongoing with the assistance of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and in collaboration with international law enforcement partners.” 

International investigation

Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One, principal officer with Revenue's Investigation, Prosecution and Frontier Management Division Mick Gilligan said the seizure was a result of an international investigation.

He said it involved Irish customs and other EU countries looking at the movement of heroin and other illicit drugs in plants and machinery.

“We profiled such movements coming into Ireland and moving out and in conjunction with our international colleagues we had highlighted and profiled this particular consignment coming in,” he said.

He said the seizure was just one milestone in the investigation and inquiries are continuing throughout Europe.

Mr Gilligan said the size of the market for heroin in Ireland would indicate that 88kg would not be for the Irish market in full.

He said he was hopeful of other seizures with a number of customs and law enforcement agencies in other countries who are actively involved in various aspects of this investigation.