A man was arrested in Northern Ireland yesterday in connection with the seizure of a £16 million haul of cannabis in the Republic more than 12 years ago. The 46-year-old, from Belfast, was detained by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch.
The 1.7 tonnes of cannabis was discovered by Customs officers in November 1996 when a freighter, the Whisky Plongeur, sailed into the harbour at Kilrush, Co Clare, with engine trouble.
Northern Ireland businessman Colin Lees was jailed for 12 years in 2000 for what a judge described as his “pivotal role” in one of the largest ever drug-smuggling operations in Ireland.