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This is what a tonne of cocaine looks like

Yep, that is 41 bales.

Updated 11pm

SO, THIS IS what a tonne of cocaine looks like.

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The Revenue Commissioners sent us this photo from Cobh today, showing officials with the 41 bales of narcotics they recovered from a yacht off the coast of Cork.

Four men are being questioned - three in Ireland by gardaí and one in Yorkshire by UK police - in relation to the €80 million drugs haul, one of the largest seen here in 10 years.

The operation, which came after weeks of surveillance, saw Irish agencies board the yacht Makayabella in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

The Inter Agency operation – with personnel from the Naval Service, Revenue’s Customs Service and gardaí – was conducted using two naval vessels and interagency personnel, in challenging conditions between 200 and 300 miles from Mizen Head.

First published 5.10pm

PICTURES: Four being questioned following seizure of a tonne of cocaine

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65 Comments
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    Mute Tom Red
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:19 PM

    Is it only in square bales that cocaine come in????….
    Or does it comes in round bales too?????…..

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    Mute Pinel G
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:14 AM

    41 bales seems an odd number to me, i would bet a bail or 4 has disappeared.

    121
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    Mute Rory Corbett
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    Sep 26th 2014, 6:47 AM

    42 would give some meaning to life.

    45
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    Mute Paddy Mac
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:24 PM

    It was for my own personal use judge!

    400
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    Mute Antonov Merinov
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:53 PM

    Did Gerry Boyle ( The Guard ) have any involvement?

    122
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    Mute Dublinjonny
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:25 PM

    Someone will be sleeping with the fishes over this amount being taken off them

    362
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    Mute Glen
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:39 PM

    Good !

    139
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    Mute Silent Majority
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:48 PM

    Doubt they’ll bother so long as nobody talks. It’s only worth €80m once it’s actually in Europe because that’s what we’ll pay for it, but to the Colombians it’s probably a few hundred quids worth & easily replaced. They’ll put this down to natural wastage, and the European buyers don’t pay as the product never actually reached the destination (small customers pay a 50% deposit, big buyers are COD only).
    Fair play to those involved and all, they’re just doing their jobs, but this will make exactly zero difference to anyone other than those arrested.

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    Mute Simon Barnes
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:56 PM

    this was probably the decoy ship and the one with 500 million on it just got through.

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    Mute Nicholas
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:24 PM

    I doubt it.

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    Mute JustMade Ireland
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:53 PM

    The do this them selfs, whille the cops are here they bringing the stuf in else were.

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    Mute Charlie Timmins
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    Sep 25th 2014, 10:07 PM

    Oh well said. Skilled use of words and grammar there.

    169
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    Mute BC
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    Sep 25th 2014, 11:48 PM

    Justmade, they do da do they don’t they though.

    68
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    Mute Richard McCarthy
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:23 AM

    Hahaha, sounds like some people never got passed primary school.

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    Mute Silent Majority
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:25 AM

    *past

    129
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    Mute John Clarke
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:00 PM

    Great job. Well done.

    6
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    Mute Stephen Cassidy
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:31 PM

    €80 million of cocaine seized, that’s not to be sniffed at …

    306
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    Mute Eric Lensherr
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:49 PM

    There were 42 bales yesterday.

    190
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    Mute Phillip Hogan
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:22 PM

    Virtually zero difference will be made to the flow of drugs

    169
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    Mute Glen
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:40 PM

    I wouldn’t exactly say that it’s still a big haul.

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    Mute Simon Barnes
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:44 PM

    it’s not a big haul at all. police only catch around 10% of what comes into a country. it might sound big but the factory that made that batch probably puts that much out a day , and that’s only one factory.

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    Mute Glen
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:49 PM

    Simon
    I agree with your comment but it’s still a lot of Charlie.

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    Mute BC
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:58 PM

    I hate cocaine dealers…Their always sticking their business in other peoples noses.

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    Mute Dirk Diggler
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    Sep 25th 2014, 10:12 PM

    Sure is Glen, a million grams. which would be cut into at least 2 million if not more. Nice money if you get away with it. This crew have probebly done this before a few times.

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    Mute Rory Corbett
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    Sep 26th 2014, 6:44 AM

    Mrs Doyle would make a lot of scones with that!

    9
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    Mute Paul Moore
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:25 PM

    And there goes the weekend !!!

    123
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    Mute Paddy Hannigan
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:46 PM

    Aye! Cancel the hookers ?

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    Mute Rory Corbett
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    Sep 26th 2014, 6:46 AM

    Shit gotta cancel the two manky hookers and a racist dwarf.

    11
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    Mute Mark Byrne
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    Sep 25th 2014, 9:10 PM

    I don’t like cocaine but I love the smell of it!

    109
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    Mute Sean Seymour
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:37 PM

    Nose is tingling at the sight of that! nom nom nom nom!

    88
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    Mute Gav Higgins
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:41 PM

    Ye would help alot of homeless with 80 millions, come on enda, get yer dealing hat on and move this white

    76
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    Mute Kristina Schroder
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:35 PM

    Well done,good job , hope they get more, and keep it off the streets.

    74
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    Mute Michael
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:25 PM

    Yes the Irish boarded the boat. But I do love it when we take the credit for all the work done by other international intelligence agencies.

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    Mute Eileen Charters
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:25 PM

    Wow. Someone’s not gonna be Happy over that..

    66
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    Mute DN
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    Sep 25th 2014, 7:23 PM

    Jokes aside, the Navy are very under resourced and we have the largest waters in europe to patrol. What does happen when the Navy arrests a fishing trawler, they tow it to port. When thats being done then all the other fishing vessels go into that area because there arent enough Naval vessels to patrol the waters. This has been highlighted before, and whos to say that this isnt the case with this drug shipment? Nearly the entire fleet is in dock because of asbestos.

    63
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    Mute Glass Half Full
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:37 PM

    That’s why the Air Corps are out over the sea every day. The Air Corps maritime aircraft monitor every vessel within our waters, and info the Naval Service on those fishing vessels not Licenced to fish, other vessels suspiciously located etc. It’s almost blanket coverage insofar as two aircraft can cover such a huge area. If anything we need more maritime aircraft!

    The Navy don’t do it on their own you know!

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    Mute Marc Power
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    Sep 25th 2014, 8:44 PM

    The air corps?…. lol. …. You mean those antiques that make us the laughing stock odd the European military establishment? …

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    Mute Carl Dineen
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    Sep 25th 2014, 9:34 PM

    Have a look at the equipment the air corps operate. The only antiques are the ones in storage for display.All operational aircraft are up to date machines and the men and women who crew them are some of the best trained anywhere. Hardly their fault that the government won’t spend more on more aircraft. Even if they did people like you would probably bitch about it!

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    Mute darragh murphy
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    Sep 26th 2014, 1:47 AM

    Do you think we should be buying stealth fighters at $100,000,000 a pop, or is the money perhaps better spent elsewhere?

    18
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    Mute David Durnin
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    Sep 26th 2014, 7:23 AM

    Who said anything about stealth fighters Darragh?

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    Mute james redmond
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    Sep 25th 2014, 9:48 PM

    A lot of experts on here.

    42
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    Mute Dermot O'Reilly
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:38 PM

    Good work.

    The boat should be confiscated and those on board should get 20 years in jail.

    39
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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Sep 26th 2014, 3:27 AM

    I think you will find the boat will be re sprayed and given to the Ceann Comhairle as a thank you present for all his years of good service.

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    Mute skin flint
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:35 PM

    Is that cocaine…or raisins?

    37
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    Mute Michael Connolly
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:33 PM

    It would be nice if it could be used for legitimate medical purposes rather than incinerating.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:45 PM

    Does Coke have legitimate medicinal uses?

    57
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    Mute Silent Majority
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:51 PM

    Yes, it’s an excellent treatment for anything I can convince my doctor to diagnose me with.

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    Mute Simon Barnes
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:54 PM

    Its an anesthetic and vasoconstricting agent, so would have lots of potential for medical use

    39
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    Mute Bobby Fox
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:55 PM

    Or sold to the Portuguese who have a logical drugs policy.

    40
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    Mute Jack News
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:08 PM

    Chances are that it’s mixed with lots of other crap , it wouldn’t be anywhere near 100 percent cocaine so not sure they’d be able to break it back down for medicinal purposes

    16
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    Mute Silent Majority
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:22 PM

    Would actually be very pure Jack, >75% anyway. It gets cut when it gets to Europe or the US; makes no sense to cut it before delivery as it just increases the mass.

    72
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    Mute Colleen McGovern
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:33 PM

    100 Years ago it was used as an anesthetic for root canals and other teeth pain. but now…I don’t understand why people would bother upsetting their heart, mind etc

    30
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    Mute Steven Hillert
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    Sep 25th 2014, 7:19 PM

    41 bales. ’40′for the dealers and one for the boat owner. And one for the little boy who lives down the lane. Out of his bracket on Bolivian marching power..

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    Mute Mack
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    Sep 25th 2014, 5:33 PM

    We’ll have some party with all that.

    18
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    Mute Stephen Blake
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:29 AM

    It looks twice the size of a 1/2 Tonne……

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    Mute alpha_chaarlie
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    Sep 25th 2014, 9:31 PM

    They won’t be smiling like that when the cartels find out where they live and come knocking on their doors looking for their cocaine back.

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    Mute Charles J. Ahern
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    Sep 26th 2014, 12:02 AM

    Say my name …

    6
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    Mute yeboyyah
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    Sep 25th 2014, 11:56 PM

    Any chance the boat was a “Galway Hooker” …anyway…Well done lads, that size haul is not to be sniffed at!

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    Mute john ferguson
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:32 PM

    Nice…

    4
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    Mute CeannComhairleDollop
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    Sep 26th 2014, 9:44 AM

    Typical Gardai. They’ll milk this drugs haul for all its worth. It will deflect attention from all their other, numerous shortcomings. They should be out protecting the poor souls that install the water meters.

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    Mute Frank Donaghy
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    Sep 26th 2014, 7:37 AM

    Probably for personal use

    3
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    Mute jack frost
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    Sep 25th 2014, 6:37 PM

    Lot to sniff at there..

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    Mute Tsar N Khan
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    Sep 26th 2014, 1:09 AM

    Does Owner of this assignment did not pay the custom duty? Why revenue in picture why not polic? I am confused. Somebody help.

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    Mute Keaneland
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    Sep 26th 2014, 2:24 AM

    The revenue run the customs coastal drugs watch. If you ever drive around secluded piers around Ireland you’ll see their signs advertising their number in case you see anything suspicious.

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    Mute Gabriele Pelle
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    Sep 26th 2014, 7:29 AM

    But what cocaine… Judge that’s plain flour I wanted to bake a big cake

    1
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