Cocaine 'Superhighway': Major Drugs Bust Exposes Traffickers' Tactics
Irish forces foiled a shipment of over 2.2 tonnes of cocaine bound for Europe, revealing vulnerabilities in coastal security.
A bold attempt to smuggle more than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine into Europe was intercepted by Irish authorities, delivering a significant blow to powerful South American cartels.
Two men, a Ukrainian fisherman and a man from Teesside, were recruited via encrypted messages in Dubai to meet a cargo ship, the MV Matthew, in the Irish Sea. Their vessel, the Castlemore, was fitted with a tracker and monitored over several days.
The operation unfolds
The traffickers planned an at-sea drop-off, transferring bales of cocaine from the larger vessel to a smaller craft, hoping to evade tightened port inspections in Rotterdam and Antwerp. However, amid storms and mechanical failures, the trawler ran aground and its crew were forced to call for rescue.
The Irish Naval Service, aware of the rendezvous, deployed its sole ship at sea and awaited backup. As warnings were ignored, warning shots were fired—the first maritime gunfire since the 1980s—and the MV Matthew was directed to Cork Harbour.
Combat-ready Irish Army Rangers boarded the vessel once a helicopter was diverted from ambulance duty, discovering the concealed cocaine. Eight suspects received a combined 129-year sentence and the entire shipment was destroyed.
Challenges on the cocaine route
Despite this success, law enforcement agencies acknowledge that limited vessels and aircraft allow up to 100 suspect ships to slip through annually. Europe is experiencing record cocaine production in South America, with the UK alone consuming 117 tonnes last year.
Smugglers now favor at-sea transfers and alternative ports, exploiting Ireland’s 2,000-mile coastline. With only two naval ships usually available and air support stretched thin, Irish waters remain vulnerable.
Experts warn that even if multiple vessels are intercepted, traffickers’ vast resources ensure significant quantities still reach shore. The case highlights the urgent need for enhanced maritime cooperation and resources across Europe.
Even with limited naval and air assets, Ireland’s forces halted a 2.2 tonne cocaine shipment, underscoring gaps in maritime security along Europe’s Atlantic route.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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