Revenue officers found some 55 kgs of drug in in container from that arrived on a fruit ship from Ecuador
Customs officers and gardaí have seized almost €4 million worth of cocaine after searching a container that arrived at Ringaskiddy in Cork Harbour aboard a fruit ship coming from South America.
Revenue officers found some 55 kgs of cocaine with a street value of €3.85 million in an intelligence led operation with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau when they examined a container from Ecuador that came in on board a ship delivering fruit to Ireland.
“The illegal drugs were found with the assistance Revenue’s Maritime Unit, drug detector dog Merlin and Revenues Mobile X-ray Scanner concealed in the refrigeration unit of a maritime container which originated in Ecuador,” the Garda Press Office said in a statement.
According to a garda source, drugs smugglers are “piggybacking” on fruit ships bringing fruit produce such as bananas and pineapples from South America to Europe and it’s believed the seizure made on Friday came as a result of obtaining intelligence on such piggybacking operations.
