€157m drug seizure shows importance of ‘reconnaissance’ and not just ‘physical ships at sea’, Tánaiste says

Tánaiste and Defence Minister Micheál Martin has said significant drug hauls, such as the €157 million seizure of cocaine from the MV Matthew, show the importance of “reconnaissance” and “intelligence” with such operations not being “all about physical ships at sea”.

Speaking in Midleton, Co Cork Mr Martin described the joint operation by the Naval Service, Air Corps, Army Rangers, An Garda Síochána and Revenue Commissioners as a “great success”.

“We should accept that. There tends to be a tendency to reach for the negative within an hour of what was by any standards a very effectively conducted mission by all of the agencies involved

“We are investing very significantly in equipment and training and infrastructure in our Defence Forces and again one ship was required. That was what was required for that particular operation.”

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Mr Martin also said air surveillance is crucial to such missions.

“In any operation there is a mistake made sometimes in some commentary that it is all about physical ships at sea,” he said.

“It is the reconnaissance, it is the surveillance and also of course the intelligence that is shared with us and that we share with European authorities and global authorities in the fight against drugs. These are global traffickers so you need global co-operation. Intelligence, actually, is the key to this.”

The Tánaiste paid tribute to the parties involved in what is the largest drugs seizure in the history of the State.

“I think the role of the Air Corps here was particularly important in terms of the precision of the pilots. They flew with great precision in respect of a vessel that was undertaking to escape essentially and to go into territorial waters and to land the Army Rangers safely. I pay tribute to the bravery and the skill of all concerned.”

Meanwhile, Mr Martin described the challenges facing the Naval Service in terms of recruitment and retention as not being unique to Ireland.

“We have broader recruitment and retention issues. Not just here in Ireland it is across most militaries in the world,” he said.

“In Ireland we have full employment. In other public services there have been difficulties in recruitment and retention because we have an unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent. That is impacting.

“We are doing what we can in terms of new methods and new approaches to recruitment and retention.”

Two men were today charged in connection with the drugs seizure earlier this week. Five other men remain in custody.

They can be held for seven days. The remaining men in custody hail from Ukraine, Iran and the Netherlands.