Pubdate: Sat, 10 Jun 2000
Source: Irish Times, The (Ireland)
Copyright: 2000 The Irish Times
Contact:  11-15 D'Olier St, Dublin 2, Ireland
Fax: + 353 1 671 9407
Website: http://www.ireland.com/

'DRUG BARONS' REMAIN AT LARGE

In Cork city the drugs trade, mainly cannabis, is controlled by four 
families well known to the authorities.

The arrival of the Criminal Assets Bureau has given gardai new tools to use 
against the known "drug barons", and there have been a number of successes 
in recent years, resulting in seizures and convictions. However, the main 
players in the Cork drug scene are still at large and have managed so far 
to avoid arrest or conviction.

According to Garda sources, inquiries under the CAB legislation may soon 
lead to convictions.

A much more worrying trend is the use of the south-west coastline as an 
easy drop-off point for hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine. The distance 
between Kinsale in Co Cork and Dingle in Co Kerry is not very great as the 
crow flies, but when all the crags and inlets are taken into account, it is 
in the order of 500 miles.

This is well known to international drug-runners, who understand only too 
well that resources in this State are hopelessly insufficient, in terms of 
patrol ships and manpower, to police the coastline adequately. Since 1993 
there has been a spate of major drug seizures along the south-west coast, 
but Naval Service, customs and Garda sources all say that not much more 
than an estimated 30 per cent of all the drugs coming ashore is being seized.

Garda sources say that the Cork-Kerry coastline is an obvious choice for 
drug-runners, given that it can be reached in a straight line from north 
Africa, and that it is so close to Europe and Britain.

Regularly British, Dutch and African nationals have been arrested when 
drug-running vessels have been seized.
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