A call for more resources and personnel to combat the importation of drugs has come from Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins.
The call comes in the wake of the unanimous jury conviction of three British nationals who were accidentally caught off the south west coast of Ireland while attempting to bring ashore the largest supply of cocaine ever seized in this country. The call also comes following the appeal by the customs authorities for greater vigilance and co-operation from the public in alerting the authorities on possible drugs movement.
Making the call, Mr Higgins said: “Had it not been for a series of mishaps, the Cork coast drugs consignment would be on the Irish and possibly European drugs market today. The unmanned regional airports and unpatrolled western sea coast is virtually an open door for the importation of drugs. If the supply of drugs is to be cut off, what is clearly needed is a CAB-type dedicated drugs unit headed by the customs authorities with fully trained staff involving the Gardaí, naval staff, radio control towers and fishing vessel crews. While I laud the regular announcements of interceptions of drugs in transit, the reality is that huge quantities are still getting through because of inadequate and virtually non-existent customs officer presence at west coast ports and sea ports,” said Mr Higgins.
“The fact that there is only one Sligo-based drugs sniffer dog and trained dog handler for most of the west coast ports and airports is derisory,” he continued. ”If the dog is based in Killybegs, for example, what is to stop drugs coming in through Greencastle, Sligo, Rossaveel or Galway ports, or indeed Knock, Donegal, Sligo or Galway airports. The whole situation is pathetic.
“I asked my colleague, John O’Mahony TD, to ask a Dáil question from the Minister of Finance about the situation at Weston Aerodrome in Kildare where the pilot of a private plane was discovered carrying in excess of €10 million of drugs. The reply confirmed that there is still no prevalent customs presence at the very busy private airport right in the heart of the capital’s main drugs market and commuter belt.
“When Deputy O’Mahony queried the number of inspections of private aircraft at the four west of Ireland regional airports for the four-year period 2004-2007, only 191 had been inspected which is less than ten per cent.
“The problem is compounded by the fact that there remain 15 unfilled Revenue vacancies in the BMW region. Of the 971 Revenue Commission jobs in the BMW region, the bulk are employed in the tax gathering division and only approximately 50 are directly involved in customs-related duties.
“It is quite clear that until we have a customs-driven initiative, the western seaboard of Ireland will continue to be an almost invitation to the drugs barons to continue to ply their trade.”
