Environment and human rights’ activists who snort cocaine were labelled “hypocrites of the highest order” by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.

Ireland’s highest-ranking Garda made the comments in County Hall in Galway on Monday after hearing every village in the county was ‘awash with cocaine’, and local GAA clubs were ‘ravaged’ by the drug.

Commissioner Harris said it’s not often we hear about the links between cocaine cultivation and slavery. Nor do we hear of the links between cocaine cultivation and the “ecological damage in the rainforests of Columbia”.

He labelled those people who use cocaine, and who preach about human rights and the environment, as ‘hypocrites of the highest order’.

Addressing the County Galway Joint Policing Committee (JPC) meeting for the first time since he took office four years ago, Commissioner Harris acknowledged there was a ‘high demand’ for drugs across the country, including Galway.

An Garda Síochána was co-operating with and involved in international operations against organised criminal gangs who were importing cocaine and other drugs into Ireland and Europe, he said.

He said the local Garda drugs unit was not operating in isolation and was linked to national and international operations against worldwide drug trafficking.

Drug use in local areas was fuelling ‘other crimes and violence’, Commissioner Harris conceded.

Galway County Councillor PJ Murphy (FG) told Drew Harris that “GAA clubs in rural areas are ravaged by cocaine use at the moment”.

Cllr Murphy said that not alone was cocaine found in every parish in the county, “now it’s in every family”, he warned.

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