Ireland is to take a significant role in a major new European narcotics operation being put in place in response to a sharp spike in the supply to the EU of heroin from Afghanistan and a worsening cocaine epidemic in the region.
The new EU organised crime unit will specifically target the smuggling by sea of heroin from Afghanistan via West Africa and of cocaine from Colombia via North America.
Currently most of the illicit drugs on sale here are being smuggled by sea to Ireland via Spain.
The Garda and the Revenue's customs service, along with the Naval Service and Air Corps, make up an Irish task force led by the Department of Justice that will form part of the EU's new MAOC-N unit, or Maritime Analysis Operations Centre - Narcotics. It is envisaged Garda and Revenue liaison officers will be based in Lisbon, where MAOC-N will be headquartered.
These Irish officials will regularly brief their European counterparts on the activities of major Irish drugs smugglers based in Ireland, Holland and Spain with a view to intercepting their shipments.
It is envisaged that based on the shared intelligence, the Air Corps and Naval Service will perform narcotics controls in Irish waters and will seize vessels known to be carrying drugs here.
The Garda and Revenue will also manage European intelligence on shipments coming on commercial sea routes with a view to seizing more drugs at ports here.
Meetings between the agencies have been taking place in Ireland in recent months with senior officials meeting in Cobh, Co Cork, last week.
Fianna Fáil's Sen Cyprian Brady and Eoin Ryan MEP met in Brussels with senior officials last week for a briefing on the plans.