Irish Examiner view: Time to bolster navy investment

How can drug smuggling be stopped when the Naval Service is operating with limited resources?

The MV Matthew passing Roches Point, Cork. Picture: Dan Linehan

The dramatic raid on the MV Matthew off the coast earlier in the week resulted in the seizure of an estimated 2.2 tonnes of cocaine which were found on board.

By any standards, this is a good day’s work for law enforcement and a serious blow to the organised crime gangs benefiting from people’s appetite for illegal drugs. There was a touch of Hollywood drama also when it came to the details of the seizure, with elite soldiers from the army ranger wing descending from an air corps helicopter on to the deck to effect the seizure.