POLICE IN THE North have seized cocaine worth an estimated £10 million (€11.65m) close to the Louth border.
A PSNI neighbourhood policing team were on a routine patrol in the Jonesborough area of south Armagh on Monday evening when they stopped a suspicious lorry.
Jonesborough is a village that sits on the border between Armagh and Co Louth and close to Dundalk.
PSNI Commander Superintendent Norman Haslett said “a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a large quantity of suspected cocaine concealed within boxes containing frozen meat products”.
This suspected cocaine is worth an estimated street value of £10 million (€11.65m)
A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of a number of driving-related offences.
He has since been released on police bail to allow for further enquiries as the investigation continues.
It’s one of the largest cocaine seizures by the PSNI and Superintendent Haslett said the “sophistication of the concealment method and sheer quantity of the drugs gives an indication of the scale of criminality involved”.
Haslett said it is his belief that the “drugs would have been distributed and sold in local communities across Northern Ireland, bringing untold harm”.
He added that organised crime groups profit hugely from the sale of these drugs and “have no care for the destruction and harm they cause to people’s lives”.
The PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch has now commenced what has been described as a “robust” investigation.
Police are making a specific appeal to anyone who noticed a maroon-coloured Iveco Eurocargo lorry with the registration number LK08 LHO, travelling within the South Armagh area, particularly in the wider Jonesborough and Keady areas, to contact police.
PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Hill added: “Anyone tempted to become involved in illegal drugs should be under no illusion; we will seek to identify them, arrest them and place them before the courts.
“We will robustly investigate this seizure and enquiries are ongoing to identify those involved in facilitating and organising this importation.
“The Police Service is seizing more drugs and arresting more people for drugs offences, with a 10% increase on both arrests and seizures across the Police Service in the last year.”
He also appealed to anyone with any information about suspected drug dealing in their area to call make contact with police.
This can also be done anonymously through the Crimestoppers charity.
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