skip to main content

Drugs worth €7.8m seized in Northern Ireland olives shipment

The drugs were seized by the PSNI at Mallusk near Belfast
The drugs were seized by the PSNI at Mallusk near Belfast

A cross-border policing operation has led to the seizure of £6.5 million (€7.8m) worth of drugs hidden in a consignment of olives.

The cannabis, cocaine and ketamine were found hidden in a load of Spanish olives and were seized by the PSNI at Mallusk near Belfast.

It followed an operation undertaken in conjunction with the Garda National Drug and Organised Crime Branch.

The two forces collaborate under the auspices of the Joint Agency Task Force.

The cannabis, cocaine and ketamine were found hidden in a load of Spanish olives

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of supplying Class A and Class B drugs.

PSNI Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said: "We believe the drugs on this seizure were intended to supply various markets across the UK.

"The Joint Agency Task Force was established with the aim of bringing a concerted and enhanced effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime.

"All partners within the Task Force are totally committed to working together to reduce the misery caused by drug smuggling and to dismantle the organised groups profiting from this type of criminality.

"It is not difficult to imagine the harm that would have been caused by this volume of drugs being dealt on street corners within our communities to vulnerable people, children and those with addictions issues.

"Nor is it difficult to imagine the mayhem that the organised criminals behind this would have wreaked with the millions of pounds of profit they potentially stood to make.

"I am delighted the drugs have been removed from circulation and that this income stream has been denied to the criminal network."