Authorities aim to make Donegal 'a no-go zone' for major drug traffickers

Senior authorities want Ireland to be viewed as a ‘hostile environment’ for international drug traffickers.

Since 2024, Revenue’s Customs Service has seized over 100 metric tonnes of drugs worth around €350 million. 

The relaunch of the Donegal Divisional Coastal Watch maritime initiative took place in Killybegs on Monday. The initiative has a particular focus on Donegal, which has over 1,100km of coastline.

“We want to make Ireland a safe place to live and a hostile environment for transnational criminals,” Detective Inspector Shane McCartan of the Garda National and Organised Crime Bureau told the launch.

In July 2023, around 60kgs drugs with an estimated street value of up to €4million were found washed up on two beaches in north Donegal. The first package was found on a remote beach in Fanad with another floating ashore in Dunfanaghy.

It was the largest consignment ever located in County Donegal and investigations are ongoing, but it is believed that the find was linked to a larger shipment thought to have successfully landed at a Donegal pier.

Investigators, who have liaised with a variety of international agencies, believe that a shipment came from South America and it has been suggested that over €30 million worth of cocaine was whisked away in a waiting vehicle after a smaller boat docked in west Donegal which traffickers bought days before the shipment.

Donegal-based Garda Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan said: “We want to make Donegal a no-go zone.  We don't want this happening again. 

“It is just everybody working together to combat drug importation. All efforts are being made now to strengthen that defence and to ensure that Ireland and the coastline isn't seen as an easy destination for these people.”

 
Garda Chief Superintendent Goretti Sheridan

Since 2024, Revenue’s Customs Service has seized over 100 metric tonnes of drugs worth around €350 million.

Tom Talbot, the Head of Investigations, Prosecutions and Frontier Management Division in Revenue’s Custom Service, said: “We just need coastal community maritime community eyes and ears on the ground to help prevent drugs entering into the state.”

Assistant Garda Commissioner Cliona Richardson said that drugs are causing “mayhem and misery” in communities across Ireland.

Coastal Watch, she said, is a collaboration designed “to keep away the scourge of drugs”.

Assistant Commissioner Richardson said: “We know the ramifications in relation to it, families devastated, whether because of the drug use itself or because of the drug sale or whatever. 

“It’s like an extension of our neighbourhood watch, but it's on the coastal, with a focus on the coastal areas.

“We are committed to dismantling disorganised crime groups and the importation of drugs.”

In September 2023, the MV Matthew, a cargo ship registered in Panama, was intercepted by the Irish Navy and Gardaí off the coast of Cork, leading to one of Ireland’s largest ever drug seizures with over 2.2 tonnes of cocaine - valued at €157 million. - on board.

Garda Inspector Paul McGee

The operation, involving the Army Ranger Wing, followed an international intelligence-led investigation targeting a major transnational drug trafficking network. Earlier this year, six men caught on board the bulk carrier and two others who were caught on board a second vessel were jailed for a combined 129 years.

Andrew Ryan, the Revenue’ Maritime Operations Manager, said: “Ireland has a very successful track record in relation to drug interdiction. The joint task force which intercepted the MV Matthew was an example, not just within Ireland and across Europe, but actually internationally…and sent a key message to Europe or to organised crime groups worldwide that Ireland is very capable of protecting the frontier. 

“Since then there's been a number of high profile maritime smuggling operations as well where we have targeted mother and daughter vessels attempting to smuggle drugs into Ireland.

“All of those operations that we've actually executed have successfully ended up with the detention of vessels, the seizure of controlled drugs and also the arrest of members of organised crime groups who are trying to use Ireland as a location.” 

Later this week, the Revenue’s new 35m hurried custom patrol cutter, the RCC Cosaint, costing a cool €8.75 million, will be launched.

Mr Ryan said: “What the new cutter represents is a significant investment by Revenue in a real tangible protection of the frontier. 

“Our new Revenue Customs cutter will allow us to have a greater endurance at sea. It will also support multi-agency operations with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána for anti-smuggling operations. 

“It also gives us fewer constraints for weather, fuel endurance and comfort for the crew in terms of the kind of conditions that they can sustain an operation in.”

Coastal Watch was first established over three decades ago with the objective of preventing Ireland’s north west coast being used for the importation of illegal drugs.

Coastal Watch aims to highlight suspicious or unusual activity such as: Packages floating in the sea, on beach or hidden close to the shoreline; Crew making landings in remote areas; Unusual objects at sea or ashore such as buoys or signalling devices; Possible unauthorised landings by foreign vessels; Merchant shipping at anchor close to land or islands; Ships away from their normal shipping lanes; Ships signalling ashore or being met by small craft; Vessels operating at night without lights.