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Huge cocaine haul found in furniture in County Tyrone Northern Ireland 'soft touch' for cocaine smugglers
(about 6 hours later)
Police have discovered one of the largest amounts of cocaine ever found in Northern Ireland in a delivery of furniture. Northern Ireland is "a soft touch" for international drugs smugglers, a former police chief has said.
Detectives said 50kg of the drug was found at commercial premises in County Tyrone on Tuesday. Alan McQuillan was speaking after one of the largest amounts of cocaine ever found in Northern Ireland was discovered in a furniture delivery.
Officers identified two suitcases packed with bags of white powder that tested as cocaine. About 50 kg of the drug was found packed into suitcases at a shop in Ballygawley, County Tyrone, on Tuesday.
A detective said: "A conservative value for this haul would be £2.5m. A street value would be substantially higher." In an unconnected incident, 20 kg of cocaine was seized in a shipment police believe was bound for Fermanagh.
In an unconnected incident, Dutch authorities have seized 20kg of cocaine at a port in the Netherlands that police believe was destined for the County Fermanagh area of Northern Ireland. It was discovered at a port in the Netherlands. Dutch police believe it was destined for County Fermanagh.
Police said this seizure has been "conservatively valued at £1m". No-one was arrested. Mr McQuillan, a former assistant PSNI chief constable, said the two consignments could be worth between £10m to £14m on the street.
'Fortuitous' "These huge quantities of drugs are moving through Northern Ireland. It is being used as a trans-shipment point and some of this is probably for the Irish Republic and some for the United Kingdom," he said.
In Tyrone, Det Supt Mullan said that after receiving information, officers examined the recently delivered container of furniture in which they made the "fortuitous" discovery. "Sadly, Northern Ireland now seems to be a soft touch for this because we don't have the National Crime Agency here and there is a glaring gap in our defences.
"It is undoubtedly one of the biggest cocaine finds ever made in Northern Ireland," he said. "We are behind the game with the rest of the UK and the rest of Ireland."
"To put this in context, over a three-year period from 2011/12 to 2013/14, PSNI seized a total of 49kg of cocaine in 1,053 seizure incidents - this is an average of 47 grammes per seizure incident. Mr McQuillan said the drugs had been discovered "fortuitously".
"There were only two seizures of 3kg or more. Half of all seizures were of just one gramme or less. Last night we got 50kg." 'Low risk route'
He said there was no suggestion that the company based at the premises knew what was in the container. No-one has been arrested. He said cuts to PSNI budgets and a skills issue because of the lack of a National Crime Agency made Northern Ireland "a weak link" and an easier way to deliver drugs to both the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
"We will be working with law enforcement colleagues in various parts of the world to establish where this came from, where it was going to and who was involved," he said. He warned that if the drugs cartels viewed Northern Ireland as a low risk route, then they would use it.
"It is unlikely that such a substantial amount was destined for the Northern Ireland market, but we'll see where our enquiries lead." "We do really need an effective system for sharing the intelligence and combating these people," he said.
He said initial tests of the white powder had registered it as cocaine, and it had been sent under armed guard for detailed forensic examination. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has only limited powers in Northern Ireland.
Justice Minister David Ford said the seizure "will undoubtedly prevent more misery and possibly save lives". Under the 1998 agreement that led to a political settlement and power-sharing in Northern Ireland, policing was subjected to a far higher degree of community oversight and monitoring than in other parts of the UK. The chief constable and officers are responsible to the Policing Board.
The NCA answers directly to the home secretary, meaning there can be no local oversight or control - and nationalist parties in the Northern Ireland Assembly said that it could operate as a parallel but unaccountable police force.
The NCA will carry out its border and customs functions in Northern Ireland - but not its other crime-fighting roles.
A police detective said there was no suggestion that the company based at the premises knew what was in the container found in Tyrone. No-one has been arrested.
Justice Minister David Ford said the seizure would "undoubtedly prevent more misery and possibly save lives".
"We must never become complacent about the dangers of illegal drugs, because they ruin lives and can ruin communities," he said."We must never become complacent about the dangers of illegal drugs, because they ruin lives and can ruin communities," he said.