Largest-Ever Cocaine Seizure in Irish Waters Linked to Major International Cartels

The largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Irish waters has been linked to Columbia’s largest drug cartel and an Albanian-led European criminal consortium, Cormac O’Keefe, Sean Murray, and Liz Dunphy report for the Irish Examiner. Members of the Irish Army Ranger Wing seized 2.25 tonnes of cocaine onboard a 190m bulk cargo vessel owned by the Gulf Clan cartel. Authorities are also investigating links between the shipment and the Kinahan cartel, which has major network or logistic links in Ireland and across Europe. Sources say that there has been a significant increase in the number of Irish criminals traveling to Colombia to make connections with both producers and traffickers, such as Balkan gangs and Mexican cartels.