HIGH SEIZE
COCAINE worth €157million was seized after the Army Ranger Wing boarded a container ship being used by Narco terrorists to smuggle drugs, it's been confirmed.
Gardai said the 2,253kg bust on the Panama-owned MV Matthew - the ‘mothership’ which the South American gangsters used to transport cocaine to Ireland and other European countries - was the "largest drug seizure in the history of the State".
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Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly described the action as "hugely significant".
Mr Kelly, from the Organised and Serious Crime Unit, said: "It shows our unrelenting determination to disrupt and dismantle networks, which are determined to bring drugs into our country.
"These groups are transnational groups. They are working all across the world and, because of that, we need to work with our international partners."
Kelly said such a huge shipment as this couldn't have come through the route it did in Irish waters "without an Irish organised criminal group being involved".
He said a "number of different groups" in Ireland could have been involved.
But he said: "I’m not going to talk about which group we think is behind this at the moment as it's currently a live operation."
Commander Tony Geraghty, fleet operations officer of the Irish Naval Service, said: "There was an extremely complex joint operation involving the Naval Service, the Air Corps, the Army Ranger Wing and Defense Force headquarters.
"And then it was even more complex by environmentals that we had no control over. The weather was extremely poor.
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"And also we were trying to predict the the actions of the number of crime gangs and how that would impact on us.
"It was very successful from a Defence Force point of view, it showed the ability we have to operate in the joint environment."
Cops believe the vessel met smaller boats in the Atlantic, who were then tasked with bringing drugs to other European countries.
The Army and Gardai have been working together for weeks to target the gang.
The huge container ship was last night brought to Cork’s Cobh Harbour for a full inspection.
Three men, aged 60, 50, and 31, have been arrested on suspicion of organised crime offences and are being detained at Garda stations in Wexford.
MV Matthew was seized off the Cork coast at 12.40pm after the Navy fired warning shots after ordering it to stop.
WARNING SHOTS
Commander Geraghty said warning shots were fired at the cargo vessel prior to the boarding operation.
He said: "The merchant ship refused to follow the instructions of our own ship.
"So this was prior to the insertion of the Army Ranger Wing.
"There was an escalated use of force used to compel the vessel to follow the instructions of the ship's captain."
Assistant Commissioner Kelly said, while the value of the seized drugs was assessed as €157million upon seizure, the value could have increased depending on what would have happened had it entered other European markets.
Revenue Commissioner and the director general of customs Gerry Harrahill said the value could be trebled based on what the organised crime gang had intended to "cut it down" at a later date.
He said it was too early to give a figure for the purity of the cocaine.
The armed Army Ranger Wing had to fast rope onto the container ship’s deck in order to seize the 28,000-tonne freighter.
The size and height of the ship meant it could not be boarded by sea without co-operation.
The Army Ranger Wing have previously practiced the rope manoeuvre but is believed to be the first time it has been performed in a real-life operation.
A Defence Forces spokesman said: “The ARW made the vessel safe and enabled its boarding by officials and personnel from the Naval Service, the Garda National Drugs Unit, Organised Crime Bureau and Revenue’s Customs Service.”
Crew members were interviewed by gardai and their documents seized.
Officers are working closely with Interpol and Europol to establish if any of them have links to organised crime gangs.
Gardai reckon a number of crime gangs were working together to arrange the smuggling operation.
'SOPHISTICATED OPERATION'
One source told The Irish Sun: “It looks like this bulk container was used to smuggle drugs across the Atlantic before rendezvousing with smaller trawlers.
“This was a very sophisticated operation at the upper levels of drug trafficking. Some of the drugs would have ended up in Ireland but other consignments would have been brought to other European countries.”
Another source added: “This was a major military operation. The ship had to be taken by force.
“The ship refused to stop or comply so military personnel had to engage. First warning shots were fire by Naval officers.
“Then the Army Ranger Wing had to fast rope onto the ship from the air and seize it. It was a stunning operation that’s a testament to the skills of the unit involved.”
It could take a number of days to forensically and thoroughly search the massive container ship.
SANDBANK SMASH
MV Matthew’s seizure comes after a fishing vessel — the Castlemore — hit a sandbank 12km north of Rosslare on Sunday night.
It was bought in Cork last Friday before setting sail for the UK. Before hitting the sandbank, it’s movements were being monitored by the Navy. Officers believe millions of cocaine may have been thrown overboard.
Two of the three men arrested were winched from this trawler. The other man was held after the MV Matthew was raided.
The crackdown was part of an ongoing operation to target a Colombian drug cartel who were supplying crime gangs across Europe with cocaine.
The captain of the MV Matthew, an Iranian national, was arrested by Gardai.
COLOMBIAN SMUGGLING ROUTE
Investigators also believe they have smashed a significant smuggling route from Colombia to Europe.
Ireland was chosen by the crime gangs to act as the location to leave the drugs before they were brought to crime gangs in the UK and other European countries.
One of the men arrested from the trawler was a UK national, while the other is from Russia.
Investigators also suspect major Irish crime gangs were facilitating the drug trafficking network.
Gardai believe they were contracted to facilitate meeting the vessel and bringing the drugs on to land.
The storm prevented the trawler from meeting the MV Matthew.
MAJOR CASH FIND
Gardai also found $100,000 in the captain's bag.
It's understood a nurse discovered the cash when he was brought to hospital.
It's also believed was brought to hospital because he suffered injuries on the ship.
A medical source told us how he may have fallen down the stairs or was attacked on the ship
Justice Minister Helen McEntee praised all those involved in making the huge drugs seizure “in challenging conditions”.
She declared: “This operation has resulted in the detention of a bulk cargo vessel originating from Latin America with a significant volume of drugs on-board, which would have no doubt been destined for Irish and European markets.
CRIME GANG BLOW
“It will represent a blow to the organised crime gangs involved in drug distribution internationally. It is true testament to the importance and strength of interagency co-operation domestically, but also with our law enforcement partners internationally.”
She added: “Illegal drug distribution and misuse does untold damage to our communities. Criminals may seek to overcome the barrier of borders, but as shown today borders are not barriers to effective criminal co-operation.
“Tackling organised crime is a key priority for Government and is central to building safer, stronger communities. We will always provide An Garda Siochana with the support and resources they need.
“I would like to thank and congratulate An Garda Siochana and their partners, at home and abroad, for their success.”
Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lt Gen Sean Clancy added: “I would like to personally commended the courage, discipline and professionalism of all personnel involved in this successful operation.
'UNIQUE CAPABILITY'
“This operation demonstrates the interoperability of Oglaigh na hEireann, underlining the unique capability that we bring to the defence of the State. The significant intelligence led planning by the Joint Task Force enabled the coordination and execution of this complex multiagency operation.
“This operation demonstrated the importance of all services of the Defence Forces and their ability to operate in the most challenging of conditions.”
The Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre — Narcotics, based in Lisbon, the UK’s National Crime Agency, the US Drugs Enforcement Agency and French customs service DNRED were all part of the joint operation.
Tanaiste Micheal Martin has also commended those involved in the operation.
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He said: “I commend all involved in this multi-agency operation, and the bravery of the members of the Defence Forces, our Naval Service and Army Ranger Wing.
"I have remained in regular contact with the Defence Forces Chief of Staff throughout the operation, and I pay tribute to the close cooperation between the Defence Forces, Naval Service, An Garda Síochána, and Revenue officials."
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