A cargo ship carrying €157 million worth of drugs was stopped by the Irish police and navy off the coast of Ireland, police in Dublin said on Wednesday.
More than 2.2 tonnes of cocaine was found aboard the Panamanian-flagged vessel, MV Matthew.
“This is the largest seizure of drugs in Irish history,” said police spokesman Justin Kelly. Three crew members were arrested and remanded in custody.
The 189-metre-long bulk carrier was intercepted by the Irish navy and police on Tuesday. They fired warning shots before boarding and escorting the vessel to the port of Cork, where it is currently docked.
The drugs were undoubtedly bound for Irish and European markets, Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said in a press release. This will be a severe blow to the organised crime gangs involved in the international drug trade, she added.
According to police spokesman Kelly, such a large quantity of drugs could not have gained access to Irish waters without the help of Irish gangs. These are in direct contact with South America, he said.
According to the Irish Times newspaper, police had been following the ship for some time, suspecting that it was carrying cocaine from South America and would make deliveries to smaller ships at sea.
On Sunday, police also picked up two men whose fishing boat had become stuck on a sandpit off the Irish coast. They are suspected of being linked to organised crime.
