Man arrested after gardaí board and search cargo vessel in Shannon Estuary

The man was arrested in an operation targeting international organised criminal activity on maritime routes along the coast

One man, aged 28, was arrested on board on suspicion of facilitating/enhancing a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence.

A man has been arrested after gardaí searched a cargo vessel on Wednesday in an operation targeting international organised criminal activity.

Officers from Revenue were aided by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in the operation which saw the vessel searched while it was anchored in the Shannon Estuary.

One man, aged 28, was arrested on board on suspicion of facilitating/enhancing a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence. He is being detained at a Garda station in Co Clare.

Meanwhile, four men, aged 30, 31, 39 and 45, who were arrested on suspicion of committing similar offences at Meenogahane, Co Kerry, on Monday morning continue to be detained at Garda stations in the county.

On Sunday, acting on confidential information from the Customs Services and the Garda Drugs Unit, gardaí became aware of four males acting suspiciously.

A rigid inflatable boat (Rib) had been taken to the Glen Pier in Ballinskelligs in south Kerry, and two high-powered engines fitted.

A second Rib had been parked at Portmagee, taken there by a Land Rover Discovery.

On Sunday, the Rib was taken 100km to Meenogahane pier in the north of the county and all four were observed boarding the boat and heading out to sea shortly after midnight.