Bid to flood Ireland with liquid cocaine

Crafty cartel bosses smuggling drugs in shampoo & coconuts

- SHANE POWER

DRUG gangs are bypassing customs checks to smuggle liquid cocaine worth millions into Ireland.

Cartel bosses are organising shipments from Colombia via Africa and Spain to flood the market here and in the UK.

The drug is dissolved at source and disguised in bottles of shampoo or hidden in products like sugar cane and even coconuts.

Underworld sources said it's a favoured smuggling method for mules because it's hard for airport and port scanners to detect.

Gardai arrested seven people following raids across Dublin last year based on intelligence on crime syndicate with links to Colombia.

Some of the men tried to escape arrest by swimming across the River Liffey but were caught.