Several people who were found to have concealed cocaine internally after arriving at Dublin Airport last week, requiring medical treatment, have been arrested and charged.
Five individuals smuggled cocaine from South America, four of whom arrived at Dublin Airport through Lisbon while one arrived through Paris, officials said.
Some 3.9kg of cocaine estimated to be worth €275,000 was contained in 258 pellets that had been ingested.
“It’s a very serious problem because we’re not only interested in the drugs,” said Michael Gilligan, head of customs at Dublin Airport, adding that the health and safety of those found to be smuggling is “paramount”.
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Mr Gilligan said some people have been found to be concealing 100-120 pellets internally.
The value of the cocaine within the pellets, which can vary in size, can range from €70,000 to €100,000.
Speaking at a briefing in the arrival halls of Dublin Airport Terminal 2, Mr Gilligan said there is no one particular method for detecting such concealments, though the latest seizures were made following a worldwide intelligence exchange.
“Some of these people are put under significant pressure to bring this product in,” he said, adding: “These are the lowest people in the chain and they’re being abused in all of this.”
In recent weeks, 140kg of cannabis with an estimated value of almost €2.8 million was also found in “basic concealments” in suitcases, he said, with four arrested travelling from Thailand.
Supt Darren McCarthy, who has responsibility for policing and security at Dublin Airport, said the primary concern for those smuggling drugs internally is their health and safety.
Agreements in place with hospitals in north Dublin, particularly Beaumont Hospital, see those internally concealing drugs receive treatment before Garda investigations begin.
Supt McCarthy said, in some cases, they can require up to a week or more in hospital.
He said that those internally concealing drugs are often paid “very small sums”, ranging from €1,000 up to €3,000, which is “a lot of money for them, for where they’re coming from”.
He said: “Most of these people coming in are very vulnerable, they’re in difficulties in their own society and they’re getting what they believe is an opportunity, and they import drugs.”
All of those arrested are currently before the courts, and are facing sentences of six to eight years, he said, based on previous cases, which have had a 100 per cent conviction rate since 2022.
“We really believe this is dismantling and disrupting the drug trafficking and importation of criminals,” he said.
There has been a “significant increase” in the number of smugglers, but not necessarily the amount of drugs smuggled per person, according to Revenue and gardaí.
In 2022, €2 million worth of drugs was seized from passengers, rising to almost €12 million in 2024 to date.
Up to the end of August, drugs worth almost €170 million have been seized by Revenue overall, more than double the value of drugs seized in the same period in 2023 (almost €75 million).
Dublin Airport has seen 800 seizures so far this year, 80 of which were in August, a considerable amount of which came through cargo, alongside passengers.
Mr Gilligan said people are taking advantage of the “greater availability of drugs” in some countries and trying to bring them to Ireland.
For example, he said Revenue has seen a significant increase in seizures from passengers travelling from states in the United States that have legalised cannabis.
He said Revenue has invested “very significantly” in new risk analysis systems to identify routes and packages, alongside its continued use of scanners and dogs.
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