SWOOP ON TRAWLER NETS POUNDS 15M WORTH OF CANNABIS

Gardai yesterday smashed a pounds 15m cannabis smuggling operation off
the West Cork coast. Cork gardai and Customs and Excise officers last
night celebrated the arrest of the British yacht, Posidonia, with more
than pounds 15m worth of high-grade north African cannabis.

Last night, Garda sources admitted they expect a dramatic hike in
cannabis, cocaine and heroin prices over the New Year as a direct
result of supply shortages caused by recent State seizures. The
Posidonia - a 70ft British-registered converted trawler - was
contacted at 12.15am yesterday by the LE Ciara, six miles south-east
of the Fastnet Rock.

Navy, Garda and Customs and Excise suspicions about the Posidonia were
heightened by reports of suspicious activity by alert West Cork
fishermen though the boat is understood to have been under
surveillance for some time.

An eight-strong armed Naval boarding party was dispatched to the
Posidonia and an initial search revealed one of the largest drugs
caches in State history.

The Navy team found an estimated total of 1250 kilos of cannabis in
bales scattered around the wheelhouse and two cabins on the vessel.

The failure to conceal the drugs had led gardai to believe it was
being prepared for a clandestine drop-off or that it might have been
recently taken on board, possibly from another ship.

The estimated street value of the haul is around pounds 15m with the
drug bales expected to remain on board until today.

An initial examination revealed the drugs to be Moroccan Gold, one of
the most prized grades of cannabis resin.

The Posidonia was escorted to Schull in West Cork while three British
nationals arrested on board were taken to West Cork Garda Divisional
headquarters in Bandon.

The three - aged 52, 49 and 32 years - are being questioned under
Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act. Their period of detention was
extended yesterday evening and they are expected to face charges today.

One man gave gardai a London address while the other two claimed they
were based in Spain.

The haul was the second in four hours secured by Cork gardai who
recovered almost pounds 1m worth of ecstasy in a raid on a warehouse
outside Cork city on Tuesday night.