Gardaí have seized electronic devices and interviewed people suspected of trafficking tens of millions of euro worth of cocaine through Ireland, following searches in the UK.
The searches took place last Thursday, led by members of the Limerick Garda Divisional Drug Unit (DDU) and assisted by police officers attached to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
Four simultaneous search operations took place at locations in Leeds and Sunderland, as part of an ongoing Garda investigation into the seizure of €21.6 million worth of cocaine on board a cargo ship, the MV Verila, at Foynes Port, Co Limerick, on December 19th, 2023.
Gardaí believe the drugs haul was to be dumped overboard the ship at Glin Pier, Co Limerick, prior to the vessel docking at Foynes. The haul included 12 large bales containing 308.6kg of cocaine, wrapped into 306 packages.
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However, as individuals involved in the illegal drugs transportation were not visible at the rendezvous location at Glin, their associates on board the Maltese-registered ship did not dump the drugs.
The cocaine shipment was later discovered by gardaí and customs officers attached to the Revenue Commissioners, after the ship docked at Foynes Port.
Two Bulgarian nationals, Kamen Petkov (36), with an address at Varna Street, Vladaskav, Varrevciuk, and Nikola Penchev (34), with an address at Veliki, Preslav, who were both members of the MV Verila crew at the time, received 10-year sentences for assisting the Brazilian drug cartel behind the smuggling.
According to sources, four searches conducted last Thursday in the UK targeted the activities of individuals suspected of being part of the drugs smuggling operation that surfaced at Foynes.
The searches were “hard entry”, meaning that armed officers used force to gain entry to properties, including using a battering ram. At least one of the properties searched was “heavily fortified”.
“This should be a message to those involved in trafficking large amounts of drugs into or through Ireland, not to come through Irish waters, basically don’t do it, because gardaí will catch you,” a source said.
Following the searches, a number of suspects were interviewed, though not arrested, and questioned by investigating officers on suspicion of involvement in the shipment of the €21.6 million cocaine haul through Irish waters.
Gardaí suspect the massive drugs haul was to be transported from Ireland to the UK and possibly back into mainland Europe as part of an international drug deal organised by a Brazilian cartel.
A number of persons interviewed by gardaí following the UK raids have suspected associations to a Yorkshire-based organised crime gang. The gang is linked to international crime.
A number of mobile phones, digital memory sticks and hard drives were seized during the joint police-force operation.
Some of the electronic devices seized were taken into possession by gardaí and will be forensically examined in Ireland.
Gardaí are hoping details may be contained in the devices that will lead to further information about the organisation behind the trafficking of cocaine at Foynes two years ago.
Approximately 30 police and Garda officers were involved in four simultaneous searches in the UK last Thursday.
Gardaí travelled to the UK to target the activities of what they suspect were individuals linked to the “landing team” or “rendezvous suspects” who had been poised to take possession of the cocaine haul at Glin Pier.
Garda intelligence has confirmed that a number of individuals travelled to the west Limerick area around the time of the cocaine seizure at Foynes, and they had used water craft to scope out the pre-planned drop-off location at Glin.
Those involved are “a serious crime group in the UK with international links”, a source said.
