€10m of cannabis hidden in cargo headed for Cork
A €10m cannabis seizure made in Rosslare port was hidden under a consignment of potted plants — addressed to a business in Cork, it has been revealed today.
The seizure of 1,450kgs of cannabis resin was made by Customs officers in the busy Wexford port yesterday.
The haul is one of the largest ever drug seizures to be made in Rosslare.
It is the biggest drugs haul in Ireland found so far this year. Sources in the Customs and gardaí said today they could not confirm if the consignment was destined for the streets of Cork. However, it is suspected that at least some of it was intended for the Cork market.
A Revenue spokesman said further investigations were continuing today.
A 42-year-old Dutch man was in custody in Wexford garda station this morning. He can be held for up to seven days.
The man was the driver of the lorry containing the cannabis. The lorry had arrived on the car ferry from the Netherlands, through the UK.
Customs officers singled out the lorry for checking after it was identified as a risk when it arrived into Rosslare on Wednesday.
A drug detector dog called Dillon — a key character on RTÉ 1’s series on Customs — sniffed through the lorry and gave a positive indication of drugs being on board.
The Revenue spokesman said: “An extensive search uncovered an elaborate concealment in a false floor of the trailer. Cutting equipment had to be used to get to the drugs which were hidden underneath a steel plated floor, which was covered with a wooden floor.”
