Ireland's cocaine conundrum: 'There could be stuff landing on beaches every night'

After the successes against cocaine gangs last week, Security Correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe talks to investigators about the 'unending tidal wave' of cocaine hitting Ireland and how not enough is being done

Estimates based on Garda and Revenue figures indicate that around 930kgs of cocaine has been seized so far this year, compared to about 760kgs of cocaine in 2024.

Amid all the recognition last week of a job well done — first with the 440kg cocaine haul in Cork and then the sentencing in the MV Matthew case — is the knowledge that an unending tidal wave of cocaine is coming across the Atlantic.

“The interception on Tuesday of the near-half tonne in Courtmacsherry was a great result for the JTF [Joint Task Force],” a security source said, “and to have that topped-off with the sentencing on Friday of the MV Matthew, again a JTF operation, was icing on the cake”.