Irish police arrest 8th man after €157M of cocaine seized on cartel mothership

Police have arrested an eighth man following the seizure of £140million (€157 million) worth of cocaine in a helicopter raid on a cartel in Ireland, the biggest in the country's history, Report informs via the Daily Mail.

A total of 2,253kg of cocaine was found after members of the Irish Army Ranger Wing stormed the MV Matthew shipping container off the Cork coast by abseiling from a helicopter amid stormy conditions earlier this week.

The drugs originated from 'a murderous cartel' in Colombia and was supplying smaller vessels that would sail to the container ship from which the drugs would then be removed.

The ship has been under surveillance since the previous week, when a multi-agency operation responded to intelligence of a major international drug smuggling bid. It is believed the drugs were destined for distribution beyond Ireland, potentially into the UK and Europe.

The official valuation of the drugs has been estimated at around €157 million, but the street value is thought to be at least three times that amount as the dealers and local suppliers will cut the drugs with chemical agents to be able to sell more of it.