Pubdate: Thur, 18 Nov 1999 Source: Irish Independent (Ireland) Copyright: Independent Newspapers (Ireland) Ltd Contact: http://www.independent.ie/ Author: Ralph Riegel in West Cork SWOOP ON TRAWLER NETS POUNDS 15M WORTH OF CANNABIS Gardai yesterday smashed a pounds 15m cannabis smuggling operation off the West Cork coast. Cork gardai and Customs and Excise officers last night celebrated the arrest of the British yacht, Posidonia, with more than pounds 15m worth of high-grade north African cannabis. Last night, Garda sources admitted they expect a dramatic hike in cannabis, cocaine and heroin prices over the New Year as a direct result of supply shortages caused by recent State seizures. The Posidonia - a 70ft British-registered converted trawler - was contacted at 12.15am yesterday by the LE Ciara, six miles south-east of the Fastnet Rock. Navy, Garda and Customs and Excise suspicions about the Posidonia were heightened by reports of suspicious activity by alert West Cork fishermen though the boat is understood to have been under surveillance for some time. An eight-strong armed Naval boarding party was dispatched to the Posidonia and an initial search revealed one of the largest drugs caches in State history. The Navy team found an estimated total of 1250 kilos of cannabis in bales scattered around the wheelhouse and two cabins on the vessel. The failure to conceal the drugs had led gardai to believe it was being prepared for a clandestine drop-off or that it might have been recently taken on board, possibly from another ship. The estimated street value of the haul is around pounds 15m with the drug bales expected to remain on board until today. An initial examination revealed the drugs to be Moroccan Gold, one of the most prized grades of cannabis resin. The Posidonia was escorted to Schull in West Cork while three British nationals arrested on board were taken to West Cork Garda Divisional headquarters in Bandon. The three - aged 52, 49 and 32 years - are being questioned under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act. Their period of detention was extended yesterday evening and they are expected to face charges today. One man gave gardai a London address while the other two claimed they were based in Spain. The haul was the second in four hours secured by Cork gardai who recovered almost pounds 1m worth of ecstasy in a raid on a warehouse outside Cork city on Tuesday night. - --- MAP posted-by: Greg