CUSTOMS AND GARDAI SET TO CONTINUE DRUGS SEARCH

Customs and Excise officers and gardai will continue their search of a
catamaran in Kinsale this morning after the discovery of 160 kilos of
cocaine with an estimated value of IEP13 million on board the vessel
yesterday.

The seizure is the second largest haul of the drug made in the State
and comes within 48 hours of gardai seizing IEP3.5 million worth of
heroin in north Co Dublin.

It is believed today's search will uncover more drugs on the
vessel.

Two men, including an Irishman in his early 50s, were arrested
following the seizure and were being questioned by members of the Cork
Drugs Squad in Bandon Garda Station under Section 15 of Criminal
Justice Drugs Trafficking Act 1996.

Yesterday's seizure followed a surveillance operation by members of
the Customs and Excise National Drugs Unit who, backed up by gardai,
monitored the arrival of the Spanish-registered Gemeos in Kinsale on
Tuesday afternoon. Gardai boarded the vessel at Pier Road on Thursday
evening and arrested the two men under Section 30 of the Offences
Against the State Act when they found a pistol on board and took them
to Bandon station for questioning.

Customs "rummaging experts" backed up by Cork Drugs Squad detectives
began a detailed search of the 40-ft vessel and found the 160 kilos of
cocaine packed in one kilo-bags concealed under the bunks in the
boat's sleeping compartments.

According to Mr Brendan Mulcahy, of the Customs and Excise's national
drugs team, the "expertly concealed" cocaine was found after a
two-hour search in two stashes of 80 kilos under two bunks. The two
men were released by gardai at lunchtime yesterday and immediately
rearrested at Bandon station under Section 15 of the Criminal Justice
Drugs Act, which allows suspect to be held for up to seven days for
questioning.

The Irishman who was arrested is from Dublin but has been living in
the Canaries for a number of years. The second man, who is in his late
30s, is English but has been living recently in the Caribbean.

Gardai believe the drugs originated in South America, probably in
Colombia. Although Garda forensic laboratory experts were still
analysing samples of the cocaine last night, it is believed to be of a
very high purity.

Gardai believe the drugs were being brought to Ireland by a major
international drugs gang for trans-shipment to Britain. A small
quantity may have been destined for Irish dealers trying to cultivate
,and expand the market for cocaine here.

Customs and Excise officers confiscated the catamaran and brought it
to a local boatyard in Kinsale, where they continued their search of
the vessel last night.

Yesterday's seizure is the third by members of the Customs and
Excise's National Drugs Unit in the past 24 hours. The Kinsale seizure
is the biggest of cocaine since the discovery of 600 kilos of the drug
with a street value of around IEP47 million aboard the converted
trawler, Sea Mist, in Cork Harbour in September 1996.

In the same month, the authorities seized 50 kilos of cocaine on a
ship called Front Guider which docked in Moneypoint, Co Clare.

Also yesterday, Customs officers seized one kilo of cocaine with an
estimated street value of IEP80,000 when they stopped a passenger
coming off a ferry in Co Wexford. A 29-year-old woman was arrested in
connection with the incident.

On Thursday gardai announced the discovery of seven kilos of heroin on

farm property between Balbriggan and Lusk in Co Dublin, the largest
seizure of the drug in the history of the State. A Dublin criminal
gang is believed to have been behind the haul. The heroin was actually
found last month and a surveillance operation put in place, leading to
the arrests of six men and two women.

The seizure was kept from the media because gardai were anxious to
locate one of the ringleaders they believe was involved in the drug
deal, who was out of the State at the time the haul was discovered. He
was arrested by gardai when he returned to Dublin last Wednesday.

On Thursday Customs officers seized eight kilos of herbal cannabis
valued at IEP16,000 in Dublin Airport.

The Gardai National Drugs Unit has had a remarkable run of drugs
seizures this year. A survey reported to the media so far this year
shows there have been seven major seizures where the amounts of drugs
concerned ranged from IEP2.7 million to IEP5 million. The total value
of those seizures was around IEP24.3 million, according to figures
supplied by the Garda Siochana or Customs.

There were a further 27 seizures reported of amounts ranging in value
from IEP50,000 to IEP750,000 and those had a total value of IEP6.3
million. Added to yesterday's seizure in Kinsale valued at IEP13
million, this would put the amount of illegal drugs captured so far
this year at a minimum - using Garda and Customs' estimates - of
IEP43.6 million.

The seizures include the IEP3.5 million worth of heroin captured near
Lusk earlier this week; IEP2.5 million worth of cannabis found in
Meath on July 25th; IEP3 million worth of cannabis found in Dublin on
May 7th; IEP4 million worth of cannabis and ecstasy found in Louth on
April 10th; IEP2.5 million worth of amphetamine and cocaine seized in
Meath on April 6th; IEP5 million worth of amphetamine seized in Meath
in February; and IEP4 million worth of cannabis found in Tipperary
also in February.

Checked-by: Rich O'Grady