DRUG DEALERS TAKE TO SKY IN BID TO BEAT AUTHORITIES

RADAR black-spots make Ireland's East Coast a prime location for
international drug dealers using low-flying private aircraft to import
drugs -- and our Air Corps can do nothing about it.

Military experts warned yesterday that we are one of the only countries
west of the Urals unable to control our own airspace.

For the first time in the history of the State, Ireland has no interceptor
aircraft to police our airspace. Military analysts called yesterday for six
new Hawks or Alpha jets to police Irish airspace against the danger of
international drug traffickers.

The planes would cost between five and 10 million pounds to purchase second
hand, but until they are bought there is a vast security loophole which can
be easily exploited by drug dealers.

"There are a lot of drugs coming into this country and the naval service is
kept very busy at the surface level but in the air we need interceptors for
surveillance, deterrence and forcing people to land," Air Corps Cmdt Paul
Fry told yesterday's annual conference of the Representative Association of
Commissioned Officers(RACO) in Galway.

"People may be using private aircraft or helicopters to import drugs, we
just don't know. We know that has happened already some years ago in
Britain, where two private aircraft were intercepted coming in at a
low-level," Cmdt Fry said.

Ireland's radar coverage in low-lying areas, particularly along the east
coast, south of the Wicklow mountains, is poor, with many black-spots.
Outside a 30-mile radius around Shannon, Cork, or Dublin airports there is
no radar coverage under 500 feet. These black-spots could be exploited by
international drug dealers, the conference heard.

Elsewhere drug dealers are using small aircraft, and flying in low without
lights, to drop drugs at collection points on land. Experts say they could
easily do the same here, by using the Global Positioning System which
accurately pinpoints the location of the aircraft to within 30 yards
anywhere on the planet.

The pilot could fly in low, with the lights turned off and use night-vision
equipment which is readily available and cheap.

"The technology to do it is very cheap and very available and the huge
rewards in drugs means the incentive is there to do it. We have to be
prepared for that," a RACO spokesman said.

The conference was also warned about the huge incidence of NATO aircraft
passing through Irish airspace on route from mainland Europe to America.
These plans had official sanction, but at present there was no way for the
Irish Air Corps to investigate who the planes are or what their cargo is.
Until the Air Corps gets powerful, well-armed interceptors, there is no way
of ensuring our airspace isn't being violated.

Checked-by: derek rea