Gardaí are ramping up their patrols of the Donegal coastline, as they look to combat the shipping of illegal drugs into the county.
Donegal Gardaí from the Garda Water Unit were conducting patrols of Lough Swilly throughout the day yesterday.
Increased Garda activity on Donegal’s coastlines has resulted from the major seizure of €4 million worth of cocaine last year, when bales containing massive quantities of the drug washed up on beaches in Fanad and Dunfanaghy.
The renewed policing effort also comes ahead of a new Coastal Watch programme from Donegal Gardaí, which when established will give coastal residents more power to report any unusual activity they notice on the coasts or at sea.
Details of the programme were discussed at the most recent meeting of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee, with Coastal Watch expected to be launched in the coming months formally.
Some of the risk indicators that members of the public are being asked to look out for as part of Coast Watch are:
- Suspicious activity in relation to persons or vehicles
- Ships and yachts sighted in remote areas
- Crew making landings in remote areas
- Unusual objects at sea or ashore
- Ships away from their normal shipping lanes
- Vessels operating at night without lights
- Packages floating in the sea, lying on the beach or hidden close to the shore.
