Gangs looking to bring potentially lethal fentanyl into Irish market, Garda chief warns

Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin and linked to thousands of deaths in US

Fentanyl, estimated to be around 50 times more powerful that heroin, has been to the forefront of the devastating opiate epidemic in the US. Picture: iStock

Irish criminal gangs have been “considering” supplying the highly dangerous synthetic drug fentanyl into the domestic market, a Garda chief has said.

Fentanyl, estimated to be around 50 times more powerful that heroin, has been to the forefront of the devastating opiate epidemic in the US.

Speaking at the Citizens’ Assembly on Drugs Use this morning, Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau also said Irish gangs discussed in 2019 investing in any emergence of the legal cannabis industry.

He said the gangs talked about investing €30 million in the growing global industry through money laundering.

Chief Supt Boland also said any move to decriminalisation or legalisation of drugs will create a “larger customer base” and a “surge” in use.

“We are satisfied that Irish criminal networks have been considering the supply of fentanyl into the Irish market,” he told the assembly, which is holding its fourth meeting in its examination of the drugs issue and legal approaches to the problem.

This is a very concerning development as fentanyl is not just significant as you know, to opioid users, but is a risk to all drugs consumers, as cartels can add fentanyl to other drugs to increase addiction, thereby increasing customer base leading to greater profits and drug deaths.

He said preliminary statistics from the US for 2022 indicated there were 109,000 deaths linked to synthetic opiates, primarily fentanyl.

In addition, he said: “In 2019 Irish criminal groups also discussed the move to legalisation of cannabis in certain jurisdictions and potential for increased numbers of countries to follow this route. They planned to invest €30 million into the global legal cannabis industry.” 

He said the aim was to “continue to generate their vast incomes” even in situations cannabis would be legal.

Increasing profits

Chief Supt Boland insisted that criminal organisations and the illegal supply of drugs would continue, even if drugs are legalised.

“They have formulated plans to ensure the illegal industry will be maintained irrespective of any legalisation," he said. 

"The strategy of criminal organizations is all about increasing profits and increase profit by increasing customer base and consumption whether it involves legal or illegal.” 

He said consumption is the problem and the aim should be to reduce demand.

Dr Sean Redmond who is behind successive projects working directly with juveniles involved in local crime gangs – which he estimates to number around 1,000 across the country – said it is essential for the State to “engage” with those young people and “protect them from malign influences” of gang groomers.

His team at the University of Limerick is currently working on two Department of Justice-funded trials looking to guide these young people away from criminality and gangs.

Detective Chief Superintendent Seamus Boland of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau also said Irish gangs discussed in 2019 investing in any emergence of the legal cannabis industry. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

Asked about the issue of drug use and possible decriminalisation or legalisation, Dr Redmond said the research described it a “wicked problem”.

He said it is “really complex” and there are multiple different perspectives on it.

He pointed out that the science on what legal approaches work best is “conflicted” and that research could be found to support opposing views.

Dr Redmond said that is why the assembly is so important in that it “balances” the different views and the conflicting science.

Andrew Cunningham of the European Monitoring Centre of Drugs and Drug Addiction (Emccda) also agreed it is a wicked problem and said there are “no easy solutions”.

He said only one European country has decriminalised drugs, Portugal, and that people will need to research the outcomes there.

He said the point of law enforcement is "to try and stem” the supply of drugs and that the gain to be made is “reducing demand” through good prevention programmes.

Mr Cunningham said that despite the narrative in the media about the scale of cannabis consumption, leading to a “normalisation” of cannabis use, only 8% of people across the EU use the drug.

He described as “disingenuous and naive” the view that organised criminals will go off and get a job “as a plumber or join the circus” after legalisation and said that, even with legalisation in the US and Canada, the global flow of illicit cannabis has not stopped.

Decriminalisation

Former director of the EU drug intelligence agency MAOC, Michael O’Sullivan, said references about taking drugs out of the hands of criminals can’t be done and “can never be done”.

He said having lived in Portugal, where MAOC is based, for four years and interacted with Portuguese authorities, he does not think the ‘decriminalisation’ model that Portugal operates would work in Ireland and said there has been a lot of “misinformation” about it.

He said he believes the “Irish system works” but does feel resources needed to be increased in the areas of treatment and rehabilitation.

Mr O'Sullivan said that if the “sanction” of courts is removed that people, particularly young people, ill get the message it is okay to use drugs.

Speaking about the new Drive drug-related intimidation programme, coordinator Siobhan Maher told the assembly about a young mother in the Midlands, who has a brain tumour, being threatened by drug dealers over a €20,000 debt incurred by her daughter.

She said these dealers were threatening “to cut her throat” over the debt.

She said young people are being “coerced” into criminal activity including storing drugs and firearms.

Ms Maher said they only have short-term funding from the Government and that if the Government wants to deal with the problem it needs to fund the programme.

Also on finance, Judge Ann Ryan, retired District Court Judge, said the Drug Treatment Court in Dublin “should be the gold standard” across the country.

She said politicians have visited the court and “promised everything” but said “nothing has happened".

She said the court is not backed up by housing or detox, sufficient staff or proper training for judges.

'Plaster on broken leg' 

Judge Ryan said that, currently, the State is putting a “sticking plaster on a broken leg” in relation to addiction and that a comprehensive approach is needed.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s prison boss has said “a staggering” number of inmates have drug problems, with more than 70% addicted to some substance.

Caron McCaffrey said the average school-leaving age of prisoners is 14 and this needs more attention.

The Irish Prison Service (IPS) director general was speaking at the fourth session of the Citizens' Assembly on Drugs Use, which is examining the drugs problem and legal options available.

She said that while drugs are a serious problem across society it reaches “alarming proportions” inside prisons.

“A staggering 70% or more in prison face addiction issues,” Ms McCaffrey told assembly members.

She said psychological assessments of the country’s prisoners revealed that the “most prevalent factor” was emotion dysregulation, which can lead to various mental health difficulties.

She said this condition often results when childhood suffers “adverse experiences” such as trauma.

Ms McCaffrey said people struggle to control their emotions and can turn to substances to “numb” feelings of fear, guilt and uncertainty.

She said almost 80% of inmates are serving less than 12 months and that many cannot access psychological services.

IPS director general Caron McCaffrey said while drugs are a serious problem across society, it reaches 'alarming proportions' inside prisons.

There are 39 psychologists for the 4,600 prisoners and a waiting list of 1,700, meaning those serving a few months cannot get access in time.

Fergal Black, IPS director of care and rehabilitation, said one in six people on methadone in the country “will end up in custody” in a particular year and that over half of women in Dochas Prison are on methadone.

Sheila Connolly, ceo of Cork Alliance, said that prisons can sometimes help those in addiction.

“Unfortunately, in Ireland, sometimes prisons save lives," she said. "It’s the reality because we are not providing enough community resources and options.” She said Cork Alliance, which marked its 21st birthday on Friday, aimed to build up trust with those being released from prison and worked with them inside jails, through a programme with the IPS.

“They want peace of mind and recovery gives that, but you won’t get that without support,” she said.

She said addiction “breaks connections” - within people, within families and in communities – and users can end up in crime.

“If you are trying to get out of that, you need a one-stop-shop - for us in Cork that’s us,” she said. “Some people talk about our place being like family.” She said the country needed to come up with an answer to addiction “other than punishment”.

Ashling Golden of Solas, a youth project in Dublin, said they followed young people into prisons.

She said drugs was the “number one reason” why they end up in prison, either as a result of addiction or selling drugs, but also because of an assault that was part of “warring drug factions” or a robbery to repay a drug debt.

Ms Golden said drug gangs had a “huge grip” in certain communities and that at the moment “they are winning” and young people were suffering as a result.

The assembly continues.