Drug gangs using 'cell structure' to smuggle into Ireland 

Up to a tonne of drugs from a suspected ‘mothership’ discovered off the Kerry coast has already been transported out of the country, security sources believe.

Intelligence from across Europe suggests that international drug gangs have introduced a new method in the last 24 months for coastal smuggling, including in Ireland, in a bid to avoid detection.

A key component of this new “modus operandi” is to separate where the drugs are landed from where the team that gets the drugs departs from and returns to.

The system compromises a “cell structure” controlled externally by gang leaders via encrypted communications with separate teams, who are unknown to each other, involved in different stages of the actual drug importation.

The system comprises:

• a ‘control team’ based anywhere in the world, such as Dubai, that tracks the movement of ships, drugs and the various teams and contacts each separate team via encrypted communications;
• a ‘boat team’, which leaves a South American port, either with the drugs or collects them at sea, who are then contacted by the control team and told where to go
•  a ‘maritime team’ which is told where to base itself along the coast. It is told by the control team when to move and where to go. They depart from a designated departing point, collect the drugs via RIBs from the mothership, and bring it a different landing point. This team does not get off there but travels either back to their original departure point or even another pier and departs;
• a separate ‘ground team’ waits at the pier where the drugs are landed, collects and immediately departs.

In this system, none of the teams are in contact with each other or know anything about each other.

Security sources said this is a “sophisticated” system used by organised crime groups operating at the “highest level” globally.

Intelligence gathered in Europe shows that this new importation system is being used in most coastal countries in Western Europe, including Ireland and Britain, and as far north as Denmark.

Security and law enforcement agencies in Ireland – including the Gardaí, Customs and Defence Forces – are aware of specialist “all-Ireland” gangs offering the “ground team” service.

It is thought that although intelligence gathered by Customs and the Garda Drug and Organised Crime Bureau initiated the operation in Kerry last weekend, that they also benefited from information gathered locally of people acting suspiciously. The Naval Service and the Air Corps were also involved in the operation.

Five men have been charged in connection with alleged drug importation at Killarney District Court.

Gardaí confirmed on Saturday that two other men were arrested on board a cargo vessel at anchor in the Shannon Estuary.

The men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested on Saturday morning on suspicion of committing a criminal offence contrary to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, facilitating/enhancing a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence.

The two men are currently detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at Garda stations in Co Clare.