Colombian cartel smuggled €5 million of cocaine into Ireland, drenched in plywood sheets
Cocaine Smuggled-Colombian cartel leaders sent over €5 million worth of cocaine to Ireland, cleverly concealed within sheets of plywood. Reports indicate that they intended to dispatch their experts to Ireland to extract the drugs from the wood. However, law enforcement moved quickly, dismantling the operation as part of a widespread international crackdown on organised crime, which involved authorities from 34 countries, including Ireland.
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Gardai and Customs officials found this sophisticated mobile laboratory in a trailer when they carried out the raid in rural Co Kildare – and recovered the cocaine injected into plywood sheets.
International investigators say it was the first mobile cocaine processing laboratory ever found in Ireland. Some 74 kilos of alleged cocaine were later extracted from the sheets and were valued at €5.2 million – three men were arrested and later charged over the seizure.
Officers also seized 32 kilos of suspected herbal cannabis, with an estimated value of €640,000 in the operation. Gardai say they are now working with international partners on both sides of the Atlantic to identify others involved in the operation.
The seizure was made as part of EMPACT, a Europe wide operation targeting organised crime groups – with the assistance of cops from south America and the Caribbean, hotspots of cocaine cartels in an operation. called Atlas Nexus.
The probe involved cops from 34 countries, as well as organisations such as Interpol and regional agencies in Europe and Latin America.
Officers from Australia, Montenegro, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America were also involved in the global crackdown, which saw some 156 tonnes of illegal drugs seized and almost 500 people arrested and a number of crime gangs identified and later dismantled.
Officers around the world also seize 201 weapons, 3131 units of ammunition and explosives, 803 wild animals and livestock, US$135.000 in cash and cryptocurrencies, 0.83 kg of gold, 169 properties, 464 pieces of jewellery, 468 fraudulent documents and one vehicle. And 18 trafficking victims were also rescued.
A spokesperson for Operation Atlas Nexus said: “Among the actions carried out, particular note should be taken of the identification and dismantling of the first cocaine processing laboratory detected in Ireland, as well as two new illegal gold mining sites in French Guiana.”
Gardai said on Monday officers from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau were part of that probe – and conducted a number of operations in Ireland.
The force said: “As part of Operation Atlas Nexus, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and Revenue Customs conducted a number of operational actions including an operation targeting the activity of a criminal organisation suspected to be involved in the importation cocaine that was believed to be camouflaged within consignments of wood being shipped from Colombia.
“This criminal organisation was also involved in the distribution of cannabis. This operation culminated in a search operation on 23rd June 2026. A mobile laboratory was discovered in a truck trailer along with equipment and chemicals used in the extraction process for cocaine.
“In total 74 kg of cocaine with an approximate value of €5,180,000 was identified camouflaged in wooden sheets imported from South America and 32 kg of Cannabis was also recovered.
“Three males were arrested at the time and are currently charged and before the courts. Investigations, with the assistance of Interpol, are ongoing on both sides of the Atlantic to identify other persons involved in this network.”
Gardai also revealed that as part of the same crackdown – under operation Atlas Nexus – DOCB and Customs officials made another seizure on July 9. That was of 24 kilos of alleged cocaine found in containers shipped into Dublin Port .
The Garda statement said: “The illicit drugs were discovered with the assistance of detector dog Gerry and Revenue’s Mobile X-Ray Scanning Unit, when officers searched a refrigerated container that had arrived from South America via Rotterdam. Investigations are ongoing on both sides of the Atlantic in relation to the network behind this attempted importation.”
Experts say criminals are developing more and more ingenious ways of getting cocaine through security at Irish ports. As well as drenched in plywood, officers have also found cocaine hidden inside charcoal. And cops elsewhere have found cocaine hidden inside toys and jigsaw puzzles.
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