Garda crackdown on organised crime seizes €8.2 million worth of drugs

Westmeath was one of five locations targeted by gardaí in a crackdown on organised crime. The operation seized €8.2m worth of drugs from locations in Westmeath, South Dublin, West Dublin, Meath, Laois, and Offaly.

A garda statement said that as part of investigations into organised criminal activity linked to drug trafficking, officers carried out a coordinated operation last Tuesday and Wednesday aimed at dismantling a well-structured criminal organisation involved in large-scale drug distribution.

The operation was led by the Terenure Drugs Unit, with support from the Serious Crime Unit Terenure, the DMR South Divisional Crime and Community Engagement Units, the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), the DMR Armed Support Unit and the Stolen Car Unit of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). A total of 60 personnel participated in the operation.

In the course of the operation search warrants were executed at 16 properties. Gardaí seized in excess of 110kg of suspected cocaine and 1.5kg of suspected heroin, with an estimated street value of €8.2 million. The drugs were recovered from two vans seized during the operation and will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis. Cash totalling £38,000 and €63,000 was confiscated.

One male, aged in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking offences. He was detained under S2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at a garda station in the Dublin Region.