CIGARETTE HAUL:THE 3,500-tonne MV Anne Scanwhich was carrying the contraband seized in Greenore, Co Louth, had been tracked by the Naval Service from the Mediterranean. The ship had travelled from the Philippines to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.
Its movements from southern Europe were monitored via the automatic identification system (AIS), with which all ships of more than 300 gross tonnes are obliged to comply.
The AIS transponders on the ship emit signals which are regularly recorded. When contact was lost at intervals, its position was calculated by Naval Service staff using dead reckoning navigational techniques. The ship travelled north via the Portuguese coast to the Irish Sea, where its position was then tracked on radar. A Naval Service patrol ship, the LE Niamh, was deployed, keeping a discreet distance as the vessel moved up the Irish Sea to Greenore, Co Louth.
The LE Niamhremained in the area last night as plans were made to move the ship from Greenore back to Dublin port.
The other enforcement agencies involved were the Irish Naval Service and Air Corps and in Northern Ireland, HM Revenue Customs and the PSNI. In all more than 150 officers were involved.
Revenue commissioner Liam Irwin said: “The success of this operation is a credit to the close working arrangements and co-operation between the various law-enforcement agencies, both nationally and internationally. Criminals have no respect for national borders and international co-operation is now more essential than ever for law-enforcement agencies. This is a shining example of a multinational, multi-agency response to criminal activity and all the agencies involved should be commended for the part they played in this successful operation,” Mr Irwin added.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said: “This is a significant strike against organised crime. The success of the operation illustrates the results and benefits that flow from close interagency co-operation.”
Defence Forces Chief of Staff Lieut Gen Dermot Earley congratulated "this joint action by the Revenue Customs Service, Garda Síochána and our LE Niamhwhich proves the need for this joint co-operation yet again. I know there is a lot of hard work to follow behind the scenes and the Defence Forces will continue to assist in every way it can."