The Irish naval vessel LÉ Eithne is training its boarding unit to intercept drug shipments, as Colombian cartels increasingly use Ireland's rugged Atlantic coast as a gateway for trafficking cocaine into Britain and northern Europe. Dressed in balaclavas and body armour that doubles as life jackets, the young sailors practise storming cabins and providing armed cover during mock operations.
Commander David Barry, the Republic's fleet commander, said a seven-nation European intelligence centre in Lisbon, the Maritime Analysis and Operation Centre - Narcotics, has helped seize €11bn worth of drugs, mostly cocaine, since it was established four years ago. He added that the model is now being studied by the US and South American nations. 'Ireland is slap bang on the route between the Caribbean and northern Europe,' he said.
Recent seizures suggest smugglers are using isolated coves and sparsely populated islands along the south-west coast. Last year, Irish authorities intercepted 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on the yacht Dances with Waves off the coast, which was destined for the UK and other northern European countries. Another operation led to the seizure of €700m worth of the drug in the past 18 months.
The Eithne's captain, Commander Tom Doyle, described the coastline as rugged and isolated, making it ideal for landing drugs. 'Our personnel have to put up with very inclement weather while not sure what they are about to confront,' he said. His 62-strong crew patrols 137,000 square kilometres of Irish territorial waters.
The influx of cocaine has fuelled one of the bloodiest gangland wars in Dublin, as criminals struggle to repay debts to Colombian mafia and rival dealers fight for territory. The Irish naval service, customs and Garda Síochána remain on alert, with eight naval vessels tasked to monitor the vast area.
