GARDAÍ seized electronic devices and interviewed a number of people suspected of involvement in the trafficking of tens of millions of euros worth of cocaine, following a series of search operations in the UK.
It has emerged the searches took place on Thursday August 21, 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 €21.6m euro worth of cocaine on board a cargo ship, the MV Verila, at Foynes Port on December 19, 2023.
Gardaí believe the drugs haul, which included 12 large bales containing 308.6 kilos of cocaine, was to be dumped overboard at Glin Pier prior to the vessel docking at Foynes.
However, as individuals involved in the illegal transportation were not visible at the Glin rendezvous location, 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 Revenue after the ship docked at Foynes.
Two Bulgarian nationals, Kamen Petkov (36) and Nikola Penchev, (34), who were both members of the MV Verila crew at the time, received 10-year jail sentences for assisting the Brazilian drug cartel behind the cocaine smuggling operation.
Sources revealed that four separate searches conducted on August 21 in the UK targeted the activities of individuals suspected of being part of the drug smuggling operation that surfaced at Foynes.
The searches were “hard entry”, meaning that armed officers used force to gain entry to properties, including 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, not arrested, and questioned by investigating officers on suspicion of involvement in the shipment of the €21.6m cocaine haul.
Gardaí suspect the massive haul was to be transported from Ireland to the UK and possibly 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 links to a “Yorkshire-based organised crime gang with international criminal links”.
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 were to be subjected to a forensic examination in Ireland.
Gardaí are hoping that information may be contained in the devices that will provide leads about the organisation behind the trafficking at Foynes two years ago.
Limerick Gardaí travelled over 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 confirmed a number of individuals travelled to the West Limerick area around the time of the cocaine seizure at Foynes, and 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.
The drug trafficking operation also involved criminals in Brazil, Holland, and Bulgaria, as well as a number of organised crime groups based in Eastern Europe.
“It was a very successful operation in the UK, and it shows that transnational gangs are operating in Ireland and using it as a gateway to Europe and the UK,” a source said.
A Garda file is expected to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions at a later date regarding international search warrants to detain and extradite further individuals to Ireland to face charges arising out of the MV Verila cocaine seizure.
The Garda Press Office said that “members of An Garda Síochána were present in the UK earlier this month, when UK Authorities carried out searches and enquiries under a Mutual Assistance Request in relation to an ongoing criminal investigation in this jurisdiction.”
