Kenneth FoxIrish authorities have set up a high-level implementation group to join a European ports network tasked with tackling the booming sea trade in international drug trafficking. Two months earlier, 2.25 tonnes of cocaine worth more than €150 million was found onboard a bulk cargo vessel off the Cork coast. The EU drugs agency and the EU Home Affairs Directorate have warned that South American drug cartels are increasingly targeting “smaller ports” — away from the major ports of Antwerp and Rotterdam — and that this could include “all ports in all countries” including Ireland. The European Ports Alliance brings together the State and the private sector to boost intelligence gathering and cooperation between police, customs, and privately-run ports. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said 323 tonnes were seized in 2022, compared to 303 tonnes in 2021 and up from 80 tonnes in 1996.

Source: The Herald June 17, 2024 06:49 UTC