Major Heroin Haul + 2 arrests - Weston Airport

Strumms · 02-12-2023 3:59am #1

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1201/1419648-gardai-plane/

wonder if this is a one off and Gardai / customs got lucky….. or have private airports in the state been facilitating the importation of drugs for a while ? Either knowingly or unknowingly ?

pretty risky, a light aircraft approaching an airport in Dublin isn’t exactly going to be able to get out of dodge, not the fuel to return to where it departed from… pilot & passenger, 60 kilograms of drugs, fuel and equipment / baggage… you’d be looking at a payload and fuel of around 400-500 kilograms, maybe more… almost half a tonne

at least if a trawler got wide that they were under surveillance they can throw the stuff overboard.

a few thousand feet in the air that’s much harder to achieve…without endangering the safety of the aircraft and people onboard ..

be interesting to know that flights origin. Can’t see a reg.

OscarMIlde · 02-12-2023 9:57am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058325353/major-heroin-haul-2-arrests-weston-airport

I think it was rumoured a lot in Leixlip under a different ownership that it may have been used for drug running. Obviously most people flying from there are training/hobbysists, but t wouldn't be surprising if some people used it for other reasons. Probably relatively risky compared to other transit routes however, as less scope for hiding drugs if searched on small planes that come through the likes of Weston.

Augme · 02-12-2023 11:08am

It's well known that Jim Manfields Snr, who used to own Weston airport, was neck deep in gangland crime. I'd be amazed if his airport wasn't a key part of that.

z80CPU · 02-12-2023 11:18am

The aircraft has a very coca cola - esque livery.

Ash.J.Williams · 02-12-2023 11:23am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121444973#Comment_121444973

I thought van Halen myself

Damien360 · 02-12-2023 11:26am

Is there a permanent customs presence at Weston ? Is it present due to Brexit or is it a drugs unit ? Same for small airports like Donegal, Galway, Waterford. Kerry gets large Ryanair aircraft so I assume that's fully manned. Or is Weston airport a huge outlier for security.

Strumms · 02-12-2023 8:01pm

, is the registration of that aircraft reported, or even visible in a photo… ?

you would think a press would or should try and enable the public to have as much information as possible ?

perhaps the Gardai don’t want it known but a bit odd…

L1011 · 02-12-2023 8:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121444999#Comment_121444999

Only Dublin, Cork and Shannon are cleared for goods and have permanent customs presences for that purpose. Knock/Kerry/Donegal do handle international flights but wouldn't have permanent customs

https://www.revenue.ie/en/customs/businesses/rules-reporting-aviation-marine/approved-arrival-departure/customs-appointed-airports.aspx

Galway Airport is long, long closed - the flying club can use it with their aircraft but they won't be leaving Irish airspace often if ever.