People who “snort a line of cocaine” fund criminal gangs says Harris

Minister Simon Harris said that people who snort cocaine “need to be reminded” that they are “fueling and funding” criminal gangs.

The Minister was speaking after more than two tonnes of cocaine were recovered from a cargo tanker off the coast of Cork yesterday, marking the biggest cocaine seizure in Irish history.

“This is an island nation and what we do not want is our islands becoming a backdoor to significantly increasing cocaine supply to Europe,” he said.

The Fine Gael TD served as interim justice minister within the lifetime of this Government, and recalls attending briefings where the “sheer explosion” of the amount of cocaine in Europe was discussed.

He said that due to fentanyl “taking a hold” in the United States, cocaine dealers are looking for new markets to sell their product.

New research carried out by the United Nations showed that 219 million people use drugs globally, with 22 million people using the drug.

“I’ve said this before, and I’m going to keep on saying it, there is that issue of needing to very clearly remind all of us of the link between what some people term recreational drug use and the fueling and funding of criminality gangland crime, both here in our own country, in the European Union and in other nations across roads and I don’t think we can forget that.”

He said there has been a “growing acceptance” in society in relation to what some people might call “social drugs.”

“I’m not talking about people with drug addiction. I’m talking about people who might go out for a pint at the weekend and think it’s okay to snort a line.”

“It’s not okay, and I’m not talking in a moralistic sense. It’s that there’s a direct link between that and criminality; I don’t think we can say that enough.”