: €157m drug seizure has been a big win, but it does little to stem the flood of cocaine

Narcotics market in the EU is said to be worth more than €13bn a year

Sat 30 Sep 2023 at 01:32

The massive cocaine seizure off the south coast by the security services’ Joint Task Force, including Army Rangers, was a stunning victory for the agencies involved and their international partners, whose intelligence helped foil the smuggling operation this week.

The interception of 2.2 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated €157m – but with a potential street value of up to three times that amount when distributed through the supply chain – is the biggest ever drug seizure by weight by the Irish authorities since records began.