FOUR MEN ARRESTED in the early hours of Monday on suspicion of assisting organised crime in the importation of controlled drugs from “a mothership” off the coast of Kerry have had their period of detention extended.

The men are being held in Killarney and Tralee Garda stations and include a Serbian National, with an address in Manchester; a man with an address in Derry; and two men with addresses in Glasgow.

All four enjoy the presumption of innocence, the special sitting of Killarney District Court heard, where there was a large garda presence with uniformed and plain clothes gardaí.

“Vast resources” have been deployed in the course of the investigation in the course of four applications for a warrant to extend the period of detention up to an additional 72 hours, Chief Supt Seamus Boland of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said.

On Sunday, 12 January, acting on confidential information from the Customs Services and the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, gardaí became aware of four males acting suspiciously.

A rigid inflatable boat (Rib) had been taken to the Glen Pier in Ballinskelligs in south Kerry and two high powered engines fitted.

A second Rib had been parked at Portmagee, taken there by a Land Rover Discovery used by the men.

On Sunday, the Rib was taken 100 kms to Meenogahane pier in the north of the county and all four were observed boarding the boat and heading out to sea shortly after midnight.

The Rib was observed returning and the men boarded the Land Rover Discovery vehicle. 

A number of items were recovered from the vehicle. including night vision equipment, GPS equipment and seven mobile phones.

Gardaí suspect they were involved in the importation of controlled drugs placed in the water by a vessel that is known as “a mother ship”, Chief Supt Boland said.

The mothership has been identified.

To date, no controlled drugs have been seized, he said.

At 05.20 am on 13 January, the men were on their way back from Meenogahane pier near Ballyheigue.

They had left the pier a number of hours earlier.

They were arrested under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 on suspicion of enhancing or facilitating the ability of a criminal organisation to commit a serious offence and the importation and possession for supply of controlled drugs, the Chief Supt detailed.

No drugs were found.

However several phones were seized, including mobile phones of each of those arrested and “a highly encrypted device that we see at the highest level of international crime,” Chief Supt Boalnd said.

Five interviews have taken place so far.

The electronic devices were being analysed and there were witness statements, as well as CCTV from Co. Kerry and the M1 motorway to be examined and put to the arrested men, he said.

Significant international enquiries are being made involving international crime and police organisations including Interpol, Europol in the Hague, the maritime drugs investigation unit in Portugal and policing units.

This is to confirm the identity of each of the accused and to establish their role in planning and importation of controlled drugs, Chief Supt Boland said.

The court sitting heard how the men had rented the cottage in Ballinskelligs on 7 January and  how they had paid €12,000 in cash for the second Rib in Kerry.

Statements are being taken from the rental property owners and from the sellers of the boat.

Solicitors for the men – Padraig O’Connell, Pat Mann and Brendan Ahern – put it to Chief Supt Boland that no drugs were found going or coming in the Rib and their clients enjoyed the presumption of innocence.

Judge David Waters granted the extension for the proper investigation of the offence, saying he was satisfied the investigation was being conducted diligently.

In a statement yesterday evening, the Garda Press Office confirmed that four males – aged 30, 31, 39 and 45 – were arrested at Meenogahane, Co. Kerry, on 13 January.

The four arrested males are currently detained at Garda stations in Kerry Division.

A garda spokesperson added that investigations are ongoing.