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NCA

Three arrested after 'largest drug seizure ever made' by NCA in Northern Ireland

An estimated 600 kilos of herbal cannabis was discovered among vegetables on a lorry stopped in Co Antrim.

THREE MEN HAVE been arrested following the largest drug seizure ever made by the National Crime Agency (NCA) in Northern Ireland.

An estimated 600 kilos of herbal cannabis was recovered from among a cover load of vegetables from a lorry stopped in Templepatrick, Co Antrim, in the early hours of Wednesday.

The seizure came following an ongoing investigation into drug supply by the NCA in a joint operation with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).

The drugs are estimated to have a street value of between £10-12 million (€12.3 million).

Three men have been arrested, including the lorry driver, on suspicion of conspiring to import controlled drugs.

EZqnrP7XQAQ-k9T NCA investigators arrested three men, including the lorry driver, on suspicion of conspiring to import controlled drugs. NCA / Twitter NCA / Twitter / Twitter

The men, aged 62, 37 and 32, are from Tyrone, Derry and Armagh.

Two premises were also searched in Derry and Tyrone.

NCA Belfast branch commander David Cunningham described the seizure as “incredibly significant”.

“A seizure of this size will have a huge impact on the organised crime groups involved in its importation, depriving them of commodity and, most importantly, profit,” he said.

“We are determined to do all we can with our law enforcement partners to disrupt and dismantle drug supply routes, not only here in Northern Ireland but across the UK.

“The crime groups involved bring violence and exploitation to our streets and into our communities.

“Our investigation into this seizure continues, and I’d like to thank our colleagues at PSNI for their support.”

EZqndYhXgAEod1f Officers recovered an estimated 600 kilos of herbal cannabis from among a cover load of vegetables.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Foster, from PSNI’s Organised Crime Unit, added: “This ongoing NCA-led investigation resulted in a joint operation between police and NCA over the last few days which has uncovered between £10-12 million of herbal cannabis.

“Police Service NI officers discovered this significant find of drugs after stopping and searching the lorry when it entered Northern Ireland.

“This seizure of drugs is significant both in terms of the quantity and also the disruption this will have caused to the organised crime group who would have brought these drugs into our communities to make money for their own selfish gain.

“This successful operation demonstrates the significant benefits of joint working with law enforcement partners and we will continue to work closely with the NCA to disrupt the nefarious activities of organised crime groups operating in Northern Ireland.”

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    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Steve T
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    Sep 25th 2018, 7:51 PM

    Throw away the key!!

    183
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    Mute Quentin Moriarty
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    Sep 25th 2018, 10:53 PM

    @Steve T: No need , 3 years may as well be 50 for an 81 year old .

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    Mute Sarah Connor
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:56 PM

    Infuriating arguments. “Legally Blind” does not mean can’t see, it means vision impaired (in fairness, to a significant measure, but usually can still see), and in the current photos he does not look “frail” at all. Even if he was a frail blind man, why exactly would that mean he shouldn’t serve time?

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    Mute O Swetenham
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:01 PM

    So three years then.

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    Mute Shane Corry
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:09 PM

    @O Swetenham: Shocking that it can end up as low as 3 years. 10 years is too low as well but at least there would be a good chance he would then die in prison so there’d be little chance of him getting out again.

    77
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    Mute James O'Brien
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:59 PM

    3 years. Thought Ireland was bad.

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    Mute tottkingham
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    Sep 25th 2018, 7:47 PM

    Hey,Hey,Hey!!!

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    Mute Joe Ryan
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:01 PM

    Bill Crosby, an icon. How many of today’s celebrities will be exposed for who they really are in the future. Be careful who you idolize, if your into that sort of thing.

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    Mute KingCrisp
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:02 PM

    Great to see a sadistic vile sexual predator jailed. All they have to do now is to jail Trump and his group of sexual predators that he calls fine people :)

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    Mute Jimmy jones
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    Sep 25th 2018, 7:46 PM

    Hey hey hey , all the way to rest of his life in prison.

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    Mute Jaune Fujisawa
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:19 PM

    Don’t really understand this system. 3 years or 10 years. Which is correct. Both of course not enough but that’s another issue

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    Mute Ger
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    Sep 25th 2018, 10:05 PM

    @Jaune Fujisawa: I think it’s a minimum of 3 years and the rest will depend on his behaviour and attitude towards rehabilitation in prison. For example he claims he’s not guilty and shows no remorse so is likely to refuse treatment. If that remains the case it’s likely to be more than 3 years.

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    Mute Charlie
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:03 PM

    A bipen and a bobben all the way to hell

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    Mute Brendan Oconnor
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:33 PM

    The thing is that he was always criticising black kids..about how they behave.. dressed . ECT. .. In other words an Uncle Tom . I’m glad he got his cumupance. . Hey Hey Hey .

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    Mute Liam O Reilly
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:27 PM

    @Brendan Oconnor: Yeah because that’s the big point here, he’s an Uncle Tom.

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    Mute Dougal67
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:18 PM

    Knew he wasn’t a nice man years ago, as his old friend Robert culp got him a job starring in an old tv show I Spy, when not many black actors got work, culp put his kneck on the line for him, years later when Cosby was a huge star culp asked him for a favor and a role, Cosby replied he was too busy! Knew he was a you know what then, but this is beyond belief, “USA TVs daddy”??? Should throw away the key his age stardom is irrelevant!!

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    Mute Kenneth Hayden
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    Sep 25th 2018, 8:10 PM

    * claps hands *

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    Mute Lily Martin
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    Sep 26th 2018, 1:24 AM

    The fact that he is now old, “legally blind” and frail should not enter into it. He committed a heinous crime and that should be the only consideration.

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    Mute Mary Maher
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    Sep 25th 2018, 11:47 PM

    I am a softie, would usually feel distressed at the prospect of an elderly person, partially blind, being sent to prison. But not in this case. Bill Cosby was a very famous and powerful person. He could have had hundreds of girls very willing to sleep with him. Instead, he chose to drug and rape those vulnerable girls who came to him for help, hope and encouragement in their career. There is something sick in his psyche.
    So now, he gets to know how it feels to be vulnerable. Learning it, too late in his life. And, by the way, very few are taken in by his feeble, old blind man, fumbling his way about behaviour.. He was always a good actor.

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    Mute Eammon Collins
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    Sep 26th 2018, 2:53 AM

    Dont drop the soap in the shower Bill or it’ll be Zip zop wop bobbity bop for you :-)

    Take some Quaaludes,ease the pain man ;-)

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    Mute Pat Mooney
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    Sep 26th 2018, 1:10 AM

    The clergy commited worse crimes
    And nothing happened to them
    Just transferred to other places
    To continue at it

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:24 PM

    What a mad world, who’d have thought crosby was that sort…

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    Mute Pat Mooney
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    Sep 26th 2018, 1:12 AM

    Just stating I’m not condoning
    What Cosby done

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    Mute Frankie Mangan
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    Sep 25th 2018, 11:04 PM

    Billy baby these sadists wont bother drugging you before sex where you’re going.

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    Mute Dougal67
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    Sep 25th 2018, 11:48 PM

    @Frankie Mangan: lol

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    Mute Paul Wallace
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    Sep 25th 2018, 9:22 PM

    What a mad world, who’d have thought crosby was a paedo

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    Mute Ger
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    Sep 25th 2018, 10:06 PM

    @Paul Wallace: Cosby* isn’t. His victim was an adult.

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    Mute Richard W. Kendall
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    Sep 26th 2018, 5:05 PM

    Hey, hey, hey, “Grip it & Rip it ( his arse ), here comes a “Fat Albert” right up the Hershey Highway!

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