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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Rebecca Black (PA) & Darragh Murphy

Body found off Donegal coast may have been man due to stand trial for drug smuggling

Gardai are working with the UK’s National Crime Agency to identify the body of a man found off the coast of Co Donegal.

It is believed the man may be Robert Wilkin, who was due to go on trial over a multi-million euro drug seizure later this year.

Mr Wilkin, who is from Northern Ireland but was living in Essex at the time of his arrest, was apprehended by the NCA in August 2021 after his lorry was stopped at Coquelles Channel Tunnel with £5.7million worth of cocaine and heroin on board. The drugs were hidden in pallets of Belgian chocolates.

In total 63 kilos of heroin and 32 kilos of cocaine were seized, which once cut and adulterated would have been worth more than £5.7 million at street level (NCA)

In a statement, the NCA said they are "working with the Irish police to ascertain whether it is the same person".

READ MORE - Last moments of man 'thrown off cliff' in Donegal as village pub night takes horror turn

The body was recovered in the waters around the mountain of Slieve League on Monday.

On Tuesday An Garda Siochana said the results of the post-mortem are not being released for "operational purposes".

Gardai investigating an alleged assault in the Slieve League/Killybegs area of Co Donegal on the weekend of June 24-25 in relation to the incident arrested a man and a woman, both of whom were later released without charge.

Gardai have established an incident room at Ballyshannon Garda station.

They have appealed to anyone travelling in the vicinity of Killybegs/Slieve League between the afternoon of Saturday June 24 and the evening of Sunday June 25 and who observed any activity that drew their attention to come forward.

Any road users travelling in these areas at these times who may have camera footage, including dash-cam, have been asked to make it available to investigating gardai.

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