Three people detained as Irish military forces board cargo ship

The Irish police, called An Garda Síochána, have said that three men were arrested when armed forces boarded a cargo ship near the coast of Ireland.

A large amount of drugs were found on the ship.

Naval officers shot warning bullets when the Panamanian ship did not stop, according to RTÉ, an Irish broadcaster.

Three men, aged 60, 50, and 31, were taken into custody in County Wexford because they are suspected of being involved in organized crime activities.

They think that a ship called MV Matthew might be involved in smuggling cocaine.

The operation involved the Irish Army Rangers, Naval and Air Corps, the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, and customs officers.

The big ship has been guided to the Cork Port where it will be kept and checked thoroughly by the police and customs officers.

There is another boat stuck on a sandy area near Rosslare in County Wexford, Ireland. The boat is a fishing trawler.
The experts think that the two situations are connected to each other.

The fishing boat got stuck on land on Sunday night.

It sent a help signal, which made the Irish Naval Service, Irish police, a lifeboat crew, and a Coast Guard helicopter team come to help.

Two people were saved using a winch from the broken boat.

RTÉ said that a rescue mission turned into a big security operation.

The Irish Naval Service said they won’t give any statement.
A map that shows where Blackwater and Rosslare Harbour are located.
A fishing boat called for help from the Irish Coast Guard on Sunday night at about 10:10 pm local time.

A helicopter from the Coast Guard and a local crew from RNLI came to help.

The Coast Guard said that they were able to rescue the people from the vessel using a winch, after previous attempts to tow the vessel were not successful.
The Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, praised everyone involved in the joint operation of multiple agencies. He also acknowledged the courage shown by the Irish army and Navy.

“He told me that I stayed in constant communication with the leader’s assistant during the mission near the southern shore. ”
In an interview with RTÉ, Michael O’Sullivan, who used to lead the EU’s group against smuggling drugs by sea, called the Irish Naval service the “unsung hero of Europe”.

He explained that drug dealers choose the path that is easiest to travel. For example, if there are not many ships guarding the coast of Spain or Ireland, they will attempt to pass through those areas.