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An official from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed that international drug cartels are increasingly utilizing Northern Ireland as a smuggling route for drugs destined for the UK and mainland Europe. PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Emma Neill disclosed to BBC Spotlight that this trend has led to a surge in drug seizures within the region. These cartels are taking advantage of trade and security arrangements in Ireland to transfer drugs at sea before onward transportation.
The PSNI has seized over £13 million worth of illicit drugs this year, marking a significant increase in seizure figures compared to previous years. Despite successful interceptions of some drug imports, there are concerns that a substantial amount of drugs are passing through undetected. In a joint operation, 185kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of £18.5 million was confiscated at Belfast Port, concealed in a lorry container en route from mainland Europe via Dublin to Scotland, making it the largest single cocaine seizure in Northern Ireland’s history.
An investigation by BBC Spotlight and Panorama uncovered links between international cartels and a 2.2 tonne cocaine shipment intercepted on the MV Matthew cargo ship off the Irish coast in 2023. The drugs were intended for mainland Europe or Great Britain, with the likelihood of them passing through Northern Ireland for transport across the Irish sea. Despite successful missions like the MV Matthew interception, challenges remain in monitoring drug trafficking, as insufficient resources limit authorities’ ability to intercept suspected drug trafficking vessels.
The origin of the drugs entering the UK and Ireland is primarily from South America, shipped to big European ports like Rotterdam and Antwerp before being rerouted due to tightened security measures. The traffickers are resorting to dropping drugs from larger ships to smaller vessels at sea, which then transport the illicit substances ashore. The increasing focus on the Irish coastline by these cartels is compounded by the limited Irish Navy presence due to personnel shortages, making it an attractive entry point to UK and EU markets with fewer customs checks
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