West Cork drug smuggling ring: A criminal gang with 'vast financial means'

Evidence was heard in relation to all the suspects - one from the North, six from Spain, two Dutch nationals, and one from Serbia, who were assisted in court by Spanish, Serbian, and Dutch interpreters.

Gardaí are satisfied from the conduct of the arrested men that they are members of a criminal organisation, Chief Supt Vincent O’Sullivan said.

The covert nature of their actions, the significant modification of vessels found, and the money spent on their travel and accommodation led gardaí to confer that they were planning and conspiring to import a large quantity of drugs into the State at Tragumna pier, he said.

The investigation is "a fast-moving, dynamic investigation with multiple international lines of inquiry" and gardaí are liaising with Interpol, Europol and police forces in countries, including Spain, Holland, Serbia and the PSNI, Chief Supt O'Sullivan said.

Due to the scale of the investigation, its international element, and the huge quantity of evidence gathered, which would need to be examined and put to the defendants, a detention extension was required, he said.

Chief Supt O’Sullivan said the criminal organisation has a hierarchical structure and comprises of members from multiple jurisdictions, including the Netherlands, UK, Spain, Serbia, and Iran, the court heard.

It has “vast financial means” and showed itself to be “logistically astute”, travelling by multiple means and sourcing multiple vehicles, Chief Supt O’Sullivan said.

The 10 men were arrested on March 14 on suspicion of participating in or enhancing the ability of a criminal organisation to commit the serious offense of drug trafficking, he said.

On Tuesday, March 12, a concerned citizen reported to gardaí suspicious activity by Tragumna pier in West Cork. Vehicles including a campervan, an articulated truck, and a green Land Rover Discovery jeep were observed.

Suspicious activity was observed by gardaí when they surveyed the scene.

At 4.45am on March 14, gardaí observed suspicious activity on Tragumna with the vehicles and a 40-foot power boat carrying a significant amount of extra fuel.

Multiple people were on board. When it reached land, people were seen emptying bags from the vessel. Up to 10 people were observed at the scene, Chief Supt O’Sullivan said.

Four men were intercepted around the jeep and the truck at Tragumna pier.

A white campervan was seen leaving Tragumna pier and travelling to Leap village.

Gardaí moved to intercept that vehicle and six males were arrested in Leap.

Although intensive searches are ongoing, preliminary searches found “a large volume of telephones”, including satellite telephones.

Equipment had been modified to increase its “stealth capability”, including having navigating equipment removed.

Some 43 telecommunication devices, including mobile phones, laptops and other devices, were retrieved.

More than 120 hours of CCTV footage is being examined by gardaí.

Judge James McNulty granted the requested 72-hour extension for all 10 men from the moment the existing detention period expires around 11.28am tomorrow.

“I am satisfied that it is reasonable and necessary to extend the period of detention by 72 hours,” Judge McNulty said.

The court believed the investigation is being conducted expeditiously and judiciously and a lot of evidence had been gathered which would require examination “so it seems reasonable to extend the detention period”, he said.

Judge McNulty said that free legal aid could be backdated to solicitors once a statement of means in affidavit form was supplied outlining the defendants’ assets, liabilities, and income sources.