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Customs team begin ‘deep rummage’ search of suspected mothership in wake of €31m cocaine bust

Revenue Customs, Gardaí and the Defence Forces are involved in the Joint Task Force operation.

4.06pm, 2 Jul 2025

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CUSTOMS OFFICERS HAVE begun a detailed specialist search of a cargo ship as part of the investigation into the seizure of €31m worth of cocaine, The Journal has learned.

The large ship was unloading its cargo at an Irish port this morning having arrived in Ireland yesterday from South America.

Yesterday morning, in a large-scale operation, in the seas off the west Cork town of Courtmacsherry, members of the Naval Service, Revenue Customs and gardaí captured the crew of a Rigid Inflatable Hulled Boat (RHIB) and two men in a van allegedly moving the drugs.

It is believed that the cocaine had been landed at Broad Strand near the town at around 4am yesterday.

Gardaí later stopped the van with the two men on board. The pair were from Germany and the UK, sources said.

Out at sea it’s understood the RHIB that had delivered the drugs fled and was pursued by two Naval Service armed fast boats.

The Journal observed as both of those speed boat suspects were arrested yesterday by detectives at Haulbowline Naval Base in Cork Harbour.

It’s also emerged that the two men aboard the speed boat had arrived in a town in West Cork in recent days having travelled from the UK by sea.

The crew of the LÉ William Butler Yeats had arrived off Courtmacsherry shortly after 2.30pm.

The Yeats was the vessel from which the operation to net Ireland’s biggest drugs seizure – – from the MV Matthew – was launched, in 2023.

Sources have said the smuggling operation was a similar method as with the Matthew – the so-called mothership had arrived into Irish waters from a South American port. She was then allegedly met by the RHIB which conveyed the drugs back to shore.

It is believed that this was an international drugs gang as opposed to an Irish-only operation, although criminals in Ireland are suspected to be involved.

The intelligence for the operation came from abroad and national units, while Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were leading the Garda side of the operation. The National Surveillance Unit and other specialised national teams were also involved.

Revenue Customs investigators were also heavily involved and the Joint Task Force, which is a multi-agency group which deals with largescale interdictions, was stood up.

Their specialist search team have been performing a “deep rummage” search of the cargo ship this morning, and this is likely to go on for a number of days. This is a highly skilled and specialised activity carried out by Customs officers wearing breathing apparatus and occurs deep inside the ship.

Despite some reports, the Army Ranger Wing were not involved on this occasion and the military side of the intervention was handled by the Naval Service with surveillance assistance from the CASA C295 Maritime patrol aircraft based in Baldonnel.

The four men arrested in the initial stages of the operation continue to be questioned under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act.

It is understood the alleged offences they have been arrested for are for enhancing the ability of an organised crime group to commit offences in the State or abroad.

Garda and Revenue Customs spokespeople did not respond to queries on the state of the investigation today, and said they could not comment as it was an ongoing operation.

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Niall O’Connor

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