Largest ever Irish drug seizure after ship raided

More than two tonnes of cocaine was seized by a Joint Task Force on Tuesday

An operation in which more than two tonnes of cocaine was recovered off the Irish coast was the largest drugs seizure in the history of the state, gardaí (Irish police) have said.

Officials recovered 2,253kg of the drug after a Panamanian-registered ship, MV Matthew, was stormed by armed forces and impounded on Tuesday.

Authorities said the cocaine had a conservative estimated street value of €157m (£136m).

The drug was supplied by a "murderous" South American cartel group, Garda Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly told reporters on Wednesday.

Soldiers from the Army Ranger Wing could be seen on board the ship

The elite Army Ranger Wing stormed the vessel with assistance from the Naval Service, Air Corps, Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and customs officers.

Mr Kelly said it was a "hugely significant, transnational operation" with cooperation from international drug enforcement partners in the United States, UK, France and Portugal.

He said the drugs were bound for both Ireland and other parts of Europe.

Six men have been arrested as part of the operation.

The ship was carrying a crew of about 25 people and authorities said there could be further arrests and search operations.

A multiagency search operation continued on Wednesday morning

How the raid unfolded

• On Sunday night, a trawler runs aground off the coast of Wexford and a distress call is sent out

• This sparks a response from the Irish Naval Service, gardaí, a lifeboat crew and a Coast Guard helicopter team

• Two men are winched from the vessel, which remains wedged on a sandbank

• Through Sunday night into Monday, another ship, MV Matthew, slows down while passing Wexford

• At 06:00 on Monday, MV Matthew changes course heading towards Ireland.

• From 20:00 to 08:00 on Tuesday, the ship remains static off the coast of Waterford

• Having left its position, the ship heads south-west towards the Atlantic but changes course suddenly at 11:30 Tuesday

• Warning shots are fired by LÉ William Butler Yeats

• The elite Army Ranger Wing then storms the vessel

• At 20:00, the ship is escorted into the port of Cork

The major multi-agency operation followed an alert after a fishing trawler ran aground off the east coast on Sunday night.

The trawler sent out a distress call, which sparked a multi-agency response involving the Irish Naval Service, gardaí, an RNLI lifeboat crew and a Coast Guard helicopter team.

Two men were winched to safety from the stricken vessel.

It remains wedged on a sandbank off the coast of Rosslare in County Wexford, along the southern coast of Ireland.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ reported that what began as a rescue mission developed into a major security operation.

Assistance was requested from the Irish Defence Forces, which tasked overshore patrol vessel LÉ William Butler Yeats, two AW139 helicopters, one CASA fixed-wing aircraft and one PC12 fixed-wing aircraft.

MV Matthew had been tracked by the Irish authorities over a number of days.

Gerry Harrahill, Garda Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly and Cdr Tony Geraghty held a press conference on Wednesday

Addressing members of the media on Wednesday, revenue commisioner and director general of customs, Gerry Harrahill, said the "theatre of operations" made for a particularly challenging recovery mission.

He said while there had been "huge interest in the dynamic nature" of the operation, it was important to acknowledge how the seizure would benefit the people of Ireland.

"We have removed the possibility of destruction and devastation to families and communities by ensuring this product doesn’t get on the streets," he said.

'Extremely complex day'

Naval officer Cdr Tony Geraghty described Tuesday as an "extremely complex day from a military perspective".

He said this was due to multiple agencies working on the operation as well as external pressures including bad weather and the nature of those involved in the drug trafficking.

"We were trying to predict the actions of a number of gangs and how that would impact on us," he said.

He confirmed that members of the Irish Naval Service had to fire warning shots when MV Matthew refused to follow their instructions - this occurred before military personell boarded the vessel.

The route taken by MV Matthew after it was first spotted on Sunday

Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin commended everyone involved in the multi-agency operation and the “bravery” of the Irish Army and Navy.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the operation was a "blow to the organised crime gangs involved in drug distribution internationally."

Speaking to RTÉ, Michael O'Sullivan, former head of the EU's anti-drugs smuggling agency, the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre, said the Irish Naval service was the "unsung hero of Europe".