‘BLAYNEY MAN LIFTS LID ON TOBACCO INDUSTRY!

By PATSY McARDLE

SHOCKING corruption involving some individuals associated with the British American Tobacco company (BAT) across Europe was alleged in a BBC-1 ‘Panorama’ investigation on Monday night last, but many viewers in Co. Monaghan may not have realised the key ‘whistleblower’ figure in the probe was a young Castleblayney man, Paul Hopkins, who has served with distinction as a sergeant with the elite Irish Army Ranger wing, as well as in a private capacity in the security industry. which has brought him many operations worldwide.

Mr. Hopkins, from The Crescent in Blayney, was closely associated in the security field with another Blayney man, Kevin Mullen of Ashdown Mews, Laurel Hill, Blayney, both of whom participated in numerous exciting overseas assignments.

Monday night’s BBC investigation centred on alleged corruption behind international   tobacco trading, involving a number of major players and extending as far as some top British political and parliamentary figures!. The issue of smuggling cigarettes into this country was not a focus of the programme which centred on more international corruptive elements within the industry ….