Today the 24th of September, 2012 John Alan Brooks was found guilty and sentenced to 28 years imprisonment.
In November 2008 a vessel was located and identified approximately 150 nautical miles South, South West of the Mizen Head. It was suspected that offence under Section 34 of the Criminal Justice Act 1994 being a drug trafficking offence was being committed in International Waters.
On the 6th of November the three man crew of this vessel "Dances with Waves” (David Brian Mufford, Philip Samuel Doo and Christopher Wiggins) were arrested at the Pier, Castletownbere and later charged with an offence under S34 CJA 1994 and appeared before Clonakilty District Court on the evening of 8.11.2008.
On the 8th of May 2009 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, the crew of "Dances with Waves" pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 15A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/2009 as amended and received 10 years imprisonment each for their role in the offence.
A Garda Investigation Team comprising of the Divisional Drug Unit at Bantry Garda Station continued the investigation into the people behind this offence. Enquires were made in several jurisdictions with the assistance and cooperation of International policing colleagues.
This joint investigation identified the involvement of John Alan Brooks in the importation of 1.5 tonnes of cocaine on the "Dances with Waves".
The trial of John Alan Brooks commenced on 10.9.2012 and a large amount of the crucial evidence gathered by the Bantry based Investigation team was presented to the Jury. Members of the Garda investigation team including Assistant Commissioner Tony Quilter of Anglesea Street gave evidence at the trail in Birmingham Crown Court.
Today the 24th of September, 2012 John Alan Brooks was found guilty and sentenced to 28 years imprisonment.
