Just one Navy ship available for massive drugs operation

The LÉ William Butler Yeats escorting the cargo ship which was boarded by army rangers, gardaí, and the Naval Service coming into Cork Harbour.  Picture: Dan Linehan

Intelligence sources say there could be potentially billions of euro of cocaine on the seized container ship brought into Cork Harbour by the navy and it could take several days to search its cargo holds and possible hidden compartments.

Former Irish navy commander Eugene Ryan — who helped found the worldwide anti-drugs surveillance centre MAOC(N) in 2007 and spearheaded the interception of the two largest drug seizures in Ieland worth a combined €1.3bn — said the navy is so denuded of ships and experienced personnel that they were lucky to pull off the operation with just one vessel.