An Garda Síochána have seized cocaine valued at more than €10 million after a surveillance operation on a sophisticated drugs distribution hub – headed by a well-known figure from the southeast – resulted in the discovery of a secret compartment in a truck that was packed with drugs.
The truck, which was stopped by gardaí on the M9 in Co Kilkenny on Tuesday, had been modified to create the hidden compartment in a tactic that has now been discovered several times during Garda operations in recent years.
The force also suspects the consignment of cocaine originated in South America and may have covertly landed on the coastline after being collected in “fast boats” from a mother ship that brought the haul into Irish waters.
A man (60s) arrested as part of the operation has legitimate business interests, including in the logistics sector. Gardaí are trying to establish if he used his contacts and infrastructure to aid the drug smuggling operation.
