Irish Navy praised for central role in €112m UK cocaine haul

A DRUGS haul captured thanks to the Irish Navy is worth at least €112million.

According to one of the top UK police officers behind the operation, the 60ft yacht Nomad was ‘filled to the gunnels’ with at least a tonne of cocaine. There were so many packets of drugs that despite the haul being landed in Newlyn Harbour in Cornwall on Wednesday evening, it was still being unloaded on Thursday at 3.30pm.

Last night, the police officer behind the operation praised Irish Defence Forces.

They had deployed a Naval Services ship and an over-head coastal surveillance aircraft from the Air Corps to track the Nomad while it was in Irish waters. National Crime Agency’ deputy director of operations Graham Gardner told the Irish Daily Mail last night that they couldn’t have done it without the Irish Navy. Of the five men arrested on suspicion of drugs smuggling, three have been charged and remanded in custody.

Although the Defence Forces declined to comment, it is believed the Naval Services deployed at least one of its Israeli-made Orbiter drones.

These can be catapulted into the air from the deck of one of their ships and can travel more than 100km and stay in the air for hours.

Mr Gardner added: ‘We could not have done this operation without the Irish and they were a very very significant part of this operation.’

Brian Fitzgerald of the Irish Navy told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the Naval Services were called ‘a number of days ago’

They were told the Nomad was about to pass through Irish waters and one of the Navy’s newest ships was deployed in what he said was ‘a complex operation’.