Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Finance the value of illegal drugs seized in the years 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003 that involved the assistance of the Naval Service. [28755/04]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The customs service of the Revenue Commissioners has primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of controlled drugs intended to be smuggled or illegally imported into the State under the memorandum of understanding signed by the Garda Commissioner and the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners on 12 January 1996. On drug smuggling by sea, the Naval Service assists the customs service in discharging its enforcement functions. The Naval Service also participates with customs and the Garda Síochána in a joint task force where this is convened to deal with specific intelligence-driven maritime drug enforcement operations. This relationship has been further developed by the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Illicit Traffic by Sea) Act 2003.

During the years 2000 to 2004, the customs service has had considerable success in seizing controlled drugs with a street value estimated at some €125 million. While the Naval Service was not directly involved in these seizures, it has during these years provided invaluable support to the customs service and regularly assisted in surveillance and the monitoring of shipping movements.

The Naval Service has also participated in a number of international joint customs operations, JCOs, which have resulted in significant seizures of drugs in the participating states. A number of these operations are conducted each year by the customs services of the member states of the EU in collaboration with other partner administrations. In 2003, an operation resulted in the seizure of 7,270 kilos of cannabis resin, 732 kilos of cocaine and 4.4 kilos of amphetamines. In 2002, an operation resulted in the seizure of 16,489 kilos of cannabis resin and three kilos of cocaine and in 2000, an operation resulted in the seizure of 5,313 kilos of cannabis resin.

The vast bulk of these seizures were not made in Ireland but in the participating member states and other partner countries. However, these huge volumes of drugs were prevented from being placed on the European market and the Naval Service assisted the customs service and the State in discharging our obligations as active participants in the fight against international drug trafficking.

In addition to this, the Naval Service and the Air Corps has assisted customs on other important law enforcement operations most notably on the case of the MV Anto, a ship that was detected in the attempt to smuggle 70 million cigarettes into the State in 2001.