Pubdate: 9 November 1999
Source: Examiner, The (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 1999
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Author: Conor Keane

SEIZED COCAINE BEING SHIPPED THROUGH IRELAND

Over pounds 5 million worth of cocaine seized by gardai in the last eight
weeks was being shipped through Ireland for drug dealers in Britain and the
Continent.

Garda National Drugs Unit head Chief Supt Ted Murphy says the volumes of
cocaine now being seized by his men and district drug units are far too
great to serve the Irish market.

"Most of the cocaine coming into Ireland is bound for Britain and the
continent. Some of it might be for the Irish market but the vast majority
of it is destined for use in England and other European countries," he
said. Chief Supt Murphy said there has been no noticeable increase in the
market for cocaine in Ireland in recent weeks.

During the past year, the drug has become more popular with Irish drug
users, especially the younger more affluent drug user who is graduating
from cannabis to cocaine.

"There could any one a number of reasons why drug dealers are using Ireland
as an entry point to the UK. One of these must be recent success by British
police on more traditional importation routes," he said. Chief Supt Murphy
said a greater range of flights from European destinations, coming to
Ireland, was also providing more routes for drug dealers.

However, the National Drugs unit have been very successful in intercepting
drugs coming into the country in recent weeks and in particular cocaine.

Gardai are today questioning four people in connection with the seizure of
cocaine with a potential street value of pounds 500,000.

The drugs were seized at Dublin Airport at Dublin Airport when a South
African man, in his 30s, was stopped by the Garda Immigration Unit at
Dublin airport at around 2.30pm last Sunday.

Four kilos of cocaine were found in the man’s baggage.

Later a 30 year old Nigerian man was arrested at a hotel in Dublin city
centre, in a follow up operation. Very early yesterday, Gardai arrested a
man and a woman, both from South Africa, in Maynooth in County Kildare in
connection with the attempt to import the pounds 500,000 worth of cocaine
into the country.

The arrests were part of a joint operation involving the Garda National
Drugs Unit and the Customs National Drugs Team.

The four are being detained under section two of the Drug Trafficking Act
at Santry and Whitehall Garda Stations. They can be held for up to seven
days without charge.

A month ago, two women were arrested following the seizure of 15 kilos of
cocaine at Dublin Airport on October 8. The drugs in that haul had an
estimated street value of about pounds 4 million, making it the largest
individual drug seizure in the State this year.

The drugs were discovered by Customs Officers carrying out a check on the
luggage of arriving passengers.

In the beginning of the year, most drug seizures made by gardai were cannabis.
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