'Very costly expense': Retired senior drugs cop on €4 million cocaine haul

A huge consignment of cocaine, over €4 million worth of which has washed up on the Donegal coast, may have been dumped off a large vessel that was heading for Europe.

Large parcels of cocaine, weighing around 60kg and valued in excess of €4 million, were located off the Donegal coast this week, prompting a major investigation.

The packages, wrapped in black plastic and bound with ropes, washed up at Ballyheirnan Beach in Fanad and Tramore Beach in Fanad on Wednesday.

Concentrated searches have been conducted along the north Donegal coast while a fishing vessel was impounded at Magheroarty on Thursday as part of the investigation.

Letterkenny Shopping Centre bought as part of €74 million deal

Investors have completed the acquisition of Hexagon portfolio, a group of six malls, including Letterkenny Shopping Centre

Investigators believe the packages came from a large batch that was affixed to a buoy in the water. Officers are now attempting to determine the source of and planned destination for the drugs.

“The entire Atlantic is the route by which cocaine comes from South America,” said Michael O’Sullivan, a former Assistant Garda Commissioner who worked as the head of the EU’s anti-drugs smuggling agency, MAOC-N, before retiring.

He said the find represented a 'very costly expense' for drug smugglers and dealers, who have now lost a significant stash.

“Depending on law enforcement and naval activity will determine on the route the vessels would take. On occasion they pass the west coast of Ireland - sometimes, they have landed on the west coast of Ireland - go around Scotland and come the east side of the UK.

“It depends on the operation, the cartel and the load. It depends on law enforcement activity - basically, where is the line of least resistance?”

A major multi-agency probe is continuing into the find.

One of the packages washed up on the Donegal coast. (North West Newspix)

Gardaí in Milford with the assistance of the Garda Air Support Unit and the Garda Water Unit, along with Revenue's Maritime Unit continue to carry out an investigation along the North Donegal/ Fanad Head coastline.

An operation on Thursday centred on a boat docked at Magheroarty Pier. Scenes of crime Gardai, Coast Guard and Revenue officials conducted a search of the vessel.

The boat, a Cleopatra 38, is understood to have been advertised for sale recently.

It does not appear as if the boat’s radar was operating in recent weeks, however.

The drugs were packed into bales, encased in black plastic wrapping. One eye-witness said one of the packages was ‘the size of a suitcase’.

Gardai are believed to have been monitoring the potential trafficking of illegal drugs into the county in recent days with investigating officers said to have been trained on marine vessels in the Atlantic Ocean.

Gardai believe the packages were discarded from one such vessel.

Mr O’Sullivan said: “A lot of it is to do with the mothership. Say, if a large container ship is heading to Scotland or Northern Ireland or the west coast of Ireland, they may put the drugs on that.

Gardai at Tramore Beach, where one of the parcels was found. (North West Newspix)

“What normally happens is that they will load the drugs on a very large vessel - maybe one carrying cars - and somewhere in the Atlantic they will offload it to a smaller vessel, a daughter vessel, possibly a fishing vessel. That is where it gets dangerous. Very often, they have to drop it without cables.

“Bad weather, under pressure, hoping they aren’t discovered and the mother ship is very anxious to get rid of it.

“It depends on the overall plan, the cartel and the people transporting it. In the past, they have transported it in semi-submersible submarines, which have crossed the Atlantic over 22 or 23 days.

“Once they embark on a course, that is the direction they will take. There are pre-arranged logistics in place. The trans-shipment of the bales can be very cumbersome. It is a very costly expense to lose that much pure cocaine while it is being shipped.”

Given the belief that the washed-up packages were part of a much larger shipment, investigators say further parcels could be located and have appealed to the public for their assistance.

A Garda spokesperson said: “Any person who sees any similar package or any other marine debris that attracts their attention are requested to not interfere with the packages and to contact An Garda Síochána at Milford Garda Station on 074 9153060, their local Garda station or the Garda Confidential line 1800 666 111.

“Members of the public can also contact the Customs Drug Watch Confidential number 1800 295 295.”