Gangs torpedoing cocaine from boats off Irish coast, former navy commander claims 

The MV Matthew berthed at Marino Point, Cork. Over 2.25 tonnes of cocaine was seized off the coast of Ireland yesterday, worth at least €157m but potentially worth a lot more in terms of its street value, An Garda Síochána has confirmed.

International organised crime gangs are torpedoing cocaine in parcels the size of bathtubs from boats undetected along the Irish coast, former Navy Commander Eugene Ryan has said.

The Irish coastline, known as the ‘cocaine highway’, has been increasingly targeted by organised crime to smuggle drugs as dwindling naval personnel and a lack of sonar capacity allow drop-offs to go undetected, Mr Ryan said.