Eurolink News

West coast of Ireland is ‘drug smugglers’ dream’ (25/4/08)

April 25, 2008 at 2:48 pm Leave a comment

The government is being urged to step up security on the western seaboard to stop drug smuggling. Fine Gael MEP Jim Higgins has called for serious investment at ports and airports to clamp down on the illegal drugs trade into Ireland from South America. ‘From Greencastle in Donegal down as far as Shannon Airport we have one sniffer dog, and only one permanent customs officer at the port of Killybegs. Other than that the coastline is wide open, and I’m damn sure that people importing large quantities of illegal drugs for use in Ireland and for transit to the continent have spotted this and are exploiting it,’ the MEP said. He added that between 2006 and 2007, the entire value of drugs seized at Sligo and Donegal amounted to under €600 – indicating a serious shortage of security.
In a separate development, MEP Higgins asked the government to initiate a media campaign warning young people about the lethal effects of illegal drugs. He recommended an advertising project based on the model used by the Road Safety Authority, where relatives of deceased or injured victims of road traffic accidents speak openly of their devastation. ‘I think such stark advertisements featuring parents of drug addicts, or addicts themselves, could help get the message across to young people “Don’t start, because it’s difficult to stop,”’ he said.

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