Drug Smuggled in a Torpedo Type Device Unearthed
Cocaine worth €5m was discovered on a beach in Co Clare. The consignment of 75 kg of drugs was found on the shore near Liscannor after Revenue Customs Officers were alerted by a member of the public about the suspicious item. The drug was reportedly contained in a “torpedo type” device which was attached to the hull of a legitimate cargo ship.
The revenue officials said it is not possible at this stage to say either where the drugs originated, or their intended destination. Revenue officials said the cocaine was contained in a “torpedo type” device, which may have been attached below the waterline of a cargo ship or other sea vessel.
Revenue’s Maritime Operations Manager Andrew Ryan said that the torpedo type device is used internationally by organized crime groups and usually fitted to the hull of a legitimate cargo ship.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Mr. Ryan said the device is normally fitted under the water line by divers, adding it is the first time a torpedo device has been found washed up in Ireland.
He said torpedoes are used because a lot of customs authorities focus their controls on high-risk vessels and this is a way of attaching restricted and prohibited goods to the hull of a legitimate vessel. He further added, “It wasn’t a smuggling attempt that went wrong, it was a torpedo device that was attached to a vessel that obviously sailed in proximity to the Irish coastline and then was washed ashore.”
The maneuver was part of an ongoing investigation into structured crime in the Dublin and Meath areas.
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Source: RTÉ
