Incredible moment special forces swoop from helicopter onto cartel ‘mother ship’ carrying

This is the incredible moment commandos from Ireland’s Army Ranger Wing stormed the deck of a cartel ‘mother ship’ off the coast of Ireland on Tuesday, after bungling subordinates led authorities to the country’s biggest ever drugs bust.

In the daring operation, the assault-rifle-armed elite troops fast-roped down from a helicopter and stormed the Panamanian-registered MV Matthew cargo vessel which had refused to stop in the Atlantic, firing warning shots as they boarded.

Video of the operation shows the helicopter hovering above the 630-foot MV Matthew as the vessel makes a sharp turn in the water, with the Irish special forces abseiling down on to the ship before moving out across the deck.

Once the commandos secured the ship, members of the Irish navy and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau came aboard, where they found more than 2,250 kilogrammes (5,000lbs) of suspected cocaine worth around £136 million.

The raid came after a fishing trawler ran aground off the coast of Co Wicklow late on Sunday, which was also being monitored as part of the operation, amid suspicions it was en route to rendezvous with the cargo mother ship.

Last night, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the drugs would have ‘no doubt been destined for Irish and European markets’ and this ‘will represent a blow to the organised-crime gangs involved in drug distribution internationally’.

Justin Kelly, from the Organised and Serious Crime Unit, said the drugs racket was being operated by ‘transnational groups’ that are ‘working all across the world’.

The elite Army squad used a technique called ‘fast-roping’ – where they attach a rope from a helicopter and slide down – to get on board the container ship due to the vessel’s height. It’s believed to be the very first time the Army has had to use this technique in a real-world setting.

The ship refused to stop when ordered to do so by the Defence Forces, leading to the elite Rangers having to board it around Tuesday lunchtime.

The multi-agency operation came just 24 hours after it emerged a trawler that was being monitored on suspicion of carrying drugs ran aground off the Wexford coast on Sunday night.

The vessel remains stuck on a sandbank out at sea with poor conditions preventing the authorities from boarding and searching it. 

The MV Matthew, which was registered in Panama, is believed to be the ‘mothership’ – an integral part of the transfer of a multi-million euro cocaine consignment. 

Once off the coast in the Atlantic, the vessel would distribute the drugs to smaller boats which would then ship them to other European countries, officials believe. 

Three men across the two boats – aged 31, 50 and 60 – have been arrested on suspicion of organised crime offences, and are detained at stations in Wexford.

It has emerged that one of those arrested was medically evacuated off the MV Matthew before the military operation to seize it. About 25 remaining crew will be interviewed in Cork and police have said further arrests may follow. 

The head of the Irish Defence Forces said the Army and Gardai had been working together for weeks to bring down the smuggling gang, leading to the MV Matthew being stormed by the Army Ranger Wing on Tuesday and impounded.

The vast container ship was on Tuesday night brought to Cork’s Cobh Harbour for an inspection. Crowds of people lined the walls of the harbour as the vessel was transported to a naval base in Haulbowline, County Cork.

Armed members of the Ranger Wing were seen on board alongside ship crew members and other Defence Forces personnel. The agencies said a ‘significant quantity’ of suspected drugs were found on board the cargo ship.

This was later reported to be 2,250 kilogrammes (4,960lbs) of suspected cocaine worth around 157 million euros.

The Navy’s patrol vessel LE William Butler Yeats had fired warning shots at the vessel after ordering it to stop, but it did not come to a halt or comply with directions to allow Irish authorities to board the ship.

In response, military commandos engaged the vessel, as shown in the video.

Personnel from the Army Ranger Wing – armed with sniper and assault rifles – fast-roped onto the container ship’s deck from helicopters, firing warning shots as they boarded, in what the Irish Defence Forces said were ‘challenging conditions’.

After the ship was made safe, the Garda units (Irish police) and customs officers boarded the vessel alongside the naval service. Members of the crew were interviewed by Gardai, and their documents were seized.

Officers are understood to be working with Interpol and Europol to establish if any of the crew have links to known organised crime groups.

The naval service escorted the ship to an Irish port where it was impounded. It will be detained for a detailed search and investigation. 

Forensic examinations of ‘every inch’ of the ship will now take place, according to security sources, who said that the actions since Sunday could represent one of the biggest, if not the biggest ever, seizures of drugs in the history of Ireland. 

Two helicopters and two planes were involved in the operation. The Irish Air Corps and Naval Service had been tracking the container ship over a number of days.

In a statement, the Defence Forces said: ‘A specialist team from the Army Ranger Wing (ARW) then deployed by helicopter on to the MV Matthew via fast-rope insertion in challenging conditions.’ 

Independent TD Cathal Berry, a former Army Ranger Wing soldier himself, told RTE’s Morning Ireland: ‘Obviously it was a very kinetic operation but it’s well within the comfort zone of the Army Ranger Wing.

‘They’re basically the Jedi Knights of the Army really,’ he said.

Speaking to The Irish Sun, one source said: ‘It looks like this bulk container was used to smuggle drugs across the Atlantic before rendezvousing with smaller trawlers.

‘This was a very sophisticated operation at the upper levels of drug trafficking. Some of the drugs would have ended up in ­Ireland but other consignments would have been brought to other European countries.’

The major multi-agency operation followed an alert after a separate boat – the Castlemore – ran aground off the coast of Wexford.

The Irish Coast Guard said it received a distress call from a vessel in difficulty off the coast of County Wexford at about 10:10pm on Sunday evening, after the vessel had hit a sandbank. Its movements were being monitored from then onwards.

Waterford-based coast guard helicopter R117, and Rosslare RNLI were sent to the scene, and attempts to tow the vessel were unsuccessful.

Officers believe millions of pounds worth of cocaine were thrown overboard. 

Two of the three men arrested in the operation were winched from this trawler, while the third was held after the MV Matthew was stormed by the elite unit.

Officials believe they have busted a significant drug smuggling route and operation that brings narcotics from Colombia to Europe.

It is thought that gangs would hold the drugs in Ireland before moving them on to be sold across the UK and the European continent. The Irish Sun has reported that one of the men arrested from the trawler is a UK national, while the other is from Russia.

According to Irish reports, the country is seen as an ideal route to smuggle drugs through on account of its lack of naval patrols.

Assistant Commissioner with An Garda Siochana Justin Kelly described the action of seizing the vessel as ‘hugely significant’.

Mr Kelly, from the Organised and Serious Crime Unit, said: ‘It shows our unrelenting determination to disrupt and dismantle networks, which are determined to bring drugs into our country.

‘These groups are transnational groups. They are working all across the world and, because of that, we need to work with our international partners.’

He added: ‘This is a huge hit for the people involved in this.’

In a joint statement, Revenue and An Garda Siochana said the operation was conducted using Air Corps and navy assets in challenging conditions off the south-east coast of Ireland. The agencies said ‘a significant quantity of suspected controlled drugs were located onboard’. 

They added: ‘After Army Ranger Wing personnel secured the vessel, members of the Irish navy, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Revenue’s Customs Service were transferred to the cargo vessel, which is currently under escort by a naval ship to an Irish port. 

‘The cargo vessel will now be the subject of a detailed examination by Revenue Customs and An Garda Siochana.

‘This intelligence-led operation was conducted in collaboration with the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC N) based in Lisbon, Portugal, and partners from the National Crime Agency (NCA), the Drugs Enforcement Agency (DEA) and French customs service DNRED.’ 

Last night the Defence Forces, gardaí and the Irish Coast Guard were seen searching the waters. The level of cooperation is said to be similar to those international vessels suspected of trafficking drugs worth tens of millions or up to £100million, the Irish Times reported.

The Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces commended the efforts of all personnel involved in the operation.

Lieutenant General Sean Clancy said: ‘I would like to personally commend the courage, discipline and professionalism of all personnel involved in this successful operation.’

He said the multi-agency operation demonstrates the interoperability of the Defence Forces, underlining the ‘unique capability that we bring to the defence of the State’.

He added: ‘The significant intelligence-led planning by the joint task force enabled the co-ordination and execution of this complex multiagency operation.

‘This operation demonstrated the importance of all services of the Defence Forces and their ability to operate in the most challenging of conditions.’

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee congratulated the State and international bodies involved in the operation. 

She said the drugs on board which would have ‘no doubt been destined for Irish and European markets’. 

In a statement she said: ‘It will represent a blow to the organised-crime gangs involved in drug distribution internationally.’ 

She said it shows the success of An Garda Siochana in building coalitions to tackle transnational crime. 

‘Illegal drug distribution and misuse does untold damage to our communities. Criminals may seek to overcome the barrier of borders, but as shown today borders are not barriers to effective criminal co-operation. 

‘Tackling organised crime is a key priority for Government and is central to building safer, stronger communities. We will always provide An Garda Siochana with the support and resources they need.’