JUSTICE Minister Dermot Ahern has paid tribute to Gardai (police) and customs officers who nabbed four men when their boat got into difficulties as they attempted to smuggle into Ireland the largest haul of cocaine ever captured in the Republic.Three of the men were sentenced to a total of 85 years at the Central Criminal Court last week. A fourth, a 24-year-olfd who admitted his part in the crime, is to be sentenced in October.As sentences of 30, 30 and 25 years were handed down to the three who were sent to jail details previously kept secret for legal reasons from the jury emerged of their criminal past.One of the men, 48-year-old Perrie Wharry from Essex in England, was jailed for life along with two others for the murder of an off-duty policeman who courageously intervened during an armed bank robbery at Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, in Britain in 1988.He was released on license in April 2005 on condition that he should not leave Britain. He breached that condition and ended up in the bid to smuggle $700 million of cocaine at Dunlough Bay off West Cork in July 2007.Another man, Martin Wanden, aged 45, who is also English but of no fixed abode, fled France in 2001 before he was sentenced in his absence to two years in jail for drugs offenses. His palatial home in Cape Town is to be auctioned by the South African police department's anti money-laundering unit.Judge Sen Donnabhin jailed Wharrie for 30 years. He also jailed Wanden for 30 years and imposed a 25-year sentence on Joseph Daly of Bexley in Kent. His sentence was less because his previous convictions were of no significance compared with those of his two co-accused. The judge said, "I think these three defendants are committed and dedicated to this criminal activity. Let's face it, they are in it for the money. They are prepared to deal in drugs, to deal in death and destruction for profit. Let's strip away everything else. That is what they were in it for." The judge added, "In terms of organization, money spent, the number of persons involved and the commitment of persons involved, they showed huge dedication to this crime in Ireland. These are not men innocently here and caught up in something."Ahern, in his commendation, said greater cooperation with European law enforcement agencies was crucial to the fight against drugs. He said Gardai were continuing to disrupt drug-smuggling operations almost on a daily basis.A further seven men whose names are known to investigators are being sought in connection with the crime, which was detected when a rigid inflatable boat got into difficulties as the drugs were being ferried ashore after being transferred at sea from a catamaran that had sailed from South America.Over 1.5 tons of cocaine was found floating in the water in Dunlough Bay after the boat suffered engine failure and capsized.Gerard Hagan, the 24-year-olod who is to be sentenced in October, scrambled out of the water and up a cliff before running into a farmhouse looking for help for his companions. He claimed they had been fishing when their boat overturned in rough seas.But the suspicious farmer called the emergency services who, while saving the life of one of the gang, also recovered 61 sacks of cocaine floating in the water around the upturned boat.The continuing hunt for the other seven gang members involves 16 international police forces. Interpol, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and Scotland Yard are also liaising in the search.Garda drugs squad chief, Detective Chief Superintendent Tony Quilter, said, "We are now looking at these other people. We would aim to bring those against whom we have evidence to justice. We know who they are. We will be moving against them."Intelligence gleaned as a direct result of the Irish capture of the four men has already led to the arrest of James Hurley in Holland. Hurley was a member of Wharrie's 1988 armed gang. He had escaped from custody in 1994 and spent 13 years on the run, eventually rising to number two on Britain's most wanted list.