The Defence Forces has confirmed that a request has been made to it to deploy assets to assist in a maritime search of waters off the west Cork coast, as part of the investigation into the suspicious activities of 10 men arrested as part of a major garda operation which started last Thursday morning.
However, a naval ship has not been deployed at this time to help as part of the operation.
Naval patrol vessel The James Joyce is the only active naval vessel currently patrolling Ireland’s coastal waters, but her current location has not been confirmed.
The request for assistance from gardaí to the navy remains.
Gardaí were granted an extension in court last night to continue detaining 10 men who were arrested in the west Cork area last Thursday.
They are Spanish, Dutch and Serbian nationals. They are being detained at a number of garda stations in west Cork and in Cork city.
Gardaí have described this as a complex and dynamic investigation with multiple international lines of inquiry. They are liaising with Interpol and other European police forces.
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A significant technical examination of a number of vehicles, including a campervan, a truck and an inflatable RIB as well as over 40 mobile communication devices are also forming a large part of the investigation.
Gardaí say the suspects remain in custody as their investigative work continues.
The suspects can be detained until Monday and gardaí can seek a further extension should their inquiries warrant it – and given the scale of work ahead, a further extension is possible.
The 10 men can be held for a total of seven days.
