Vol. 513 No. 4
146 Ms Shortall asked the Minister for Finance if he will establish a special drugs unit to deal specifically with Dublin Airport in view of the high rates of illegal drugs importation through the airport and the demands which this puts on the local divisional Garda resources; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2419/00]
A Government decision of 19 July 1995 assigned primary responsibility for the prevention, detection, interception and seizure of illegal drugs intended to be smuggled or imported into the State to the Revenue Commissioners, customs service.
The practical arrangements for the execution of this responsibility were agreed in a Memorandum of Understanding concerning the relationship between the customs and excise service of the Revenue Commissioners and the Garda Siochana, in respect of drugs law enforcement, and was signed on 12 January 1996 by the Chairman of the Revenue Commissioners and the Garda Commissioners. It was endorsed by the Ministers for Finance and Justice, Equality and Law Reform.
The Revenue Commissioners, who have operational responsibility in this area have advised me that the position in relation to enforcement is as follows both generally and with regard to Dublin airport. In 1993 the Revenue Commissioners established the Customs National Drugs Team. This unit currently consists of 85 officers dedicated to the prevention, detection and seizure of drugs being smuggled into or out of the State. Most of the CNDT officers are deployed in the main ports and airports and others man the CNDT Maritime, Intelligence and Dog Units. CNDT officers are supported by the other Customs anti-smuggling staff also deployed at the ports and airports. The CNDT has seized drugs to a total value of £76 million during the past three years and has contributed to several major seizures by the Customs Services of other countries through the sharing of intelligence material and other practical co-operation.
Four Customs officers work full time in the CNDT unit based in Dublin airport. They are backed up by 18 customs officers who are deployed in general anti-smuggling duties in the passenger terminal. The dedicated drugs unit at the airport also has responsibility for the detection of drugs in freight shipments where they also receive support from a further 33 Customs officers who work in this area.
In the experience of CNDT, staff at Dublin airport the principal method of smuggling drugs through the airport is on the person or in the baggage of intra community travellers. Customs have powers to stop and search suspect passengers, however, in order to facilitate the large number of law abiding passengers, their powers are exercised based on profiling and risk analysis techniques. Customs have access to a wide international network of intelligence from overseas Customs services under the terms of Conventions and Agreements to which Ireland is a signatory. Intelligence provided through such channels greatly assists in targeting likely drugs traffickers.
Since its establishment in 1993 the customs drugs unit at Dublin airport has had a high success rate in detecting drugs being smuggled into the State and in the past three years the value of seizures has totalled £6.6 million.
