Category: Analysis & Opinion

Regulatory Watch News

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  Cocaine worth £232m seized in National Crime Agency investigation

  National Crime Agency

  August 11, 2026

    A huge seizure of almost three tonnes of cocaine has been made as part of a National Crime Agency investigation. The haul – which has an estimated street value of £232m – was made on Thursday at London Gateway Port in Essex. Acting on NCA intelligence, Border Force officers recovered the 2.9 tonne consignment which was hidden in a coverload of bananas from South America.

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  Ironside: Sydney airport worker jailed over role in 127kg pseudoephedrine importation

  Australia Federal Police

  August 11, 2026

  A Sydney airport worker was sentenced to two years and four months' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of 18 months, by the NSW District Court today (11 August, 2026) for his role in supporting a criminal organisation to import 127kg of pseudoephedrine. The man, 56, was arrested in June, 2021, after an AFP investigation linked him to the illicit activity as a result of intelligence gained during the AFP-led Operation Ironside. Operation Ironside was a three-year operation during which the AFP and FBI monitored criminals' encrypted communications through a dedicated encrypted communications platform.

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  Statement from Minister Helen McEntee on the extradition of an Irish national from the United Arab Emirates

  Irish Government

  August 10, 2026

  “I welcome today’s extradition of an Irish national from the United Arab Emirates to face charges here in Ireland.

  “Today is the culmination of years of determined work by An Garda Síochána, successive Governments and officials to ensure that those suspected of serious and organised crime cannot evade the Irish justice system.

  “I want to pay particular tribute to the late John O’Driscoll and former Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for their efforts to tackle serious organised crime and strengthen cooperation with our international law enforcement partners.

  “As Minister for Justice and in the years leading up to the signing of the extradition treaty in October 2024, I saw first hand the tireless efforts of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Department of Justice and the UAE government, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and every agency involved in bringing us to this point.”