Gardaí seize over €18m in drugs

GARDAÍ have scored another major blow against one of the country's largest drug gangs with the seizure of 200kg of cannabis during a raid on a business premises in south-west Dublin.

The haul is the third major garda success against the Dublin-based gang in the past two months.

The raid was part of an ongoing operation which has specifically targeted the criminals who are believed to be the biggest importers of cannabis into Ireland. Over E18 million worth of the drug has now been seized this summer, following the latest raid which recovered cannabis with an estimated street value of over E2 million.

Detectives from the National Drugs Unit with officers from several city units raided a business premises in Rathcoole, believed to be the gang's main distribution centre, on Monday.

Around 150kg of cannabis was discovered during an initial search. Gardaí found another 50kg of the drug yesterday afternoon during a further examination of the premises. The search is due to continue today with gardaí confident of uncovering more quantities of the drug. Two men and one woman, all in their 30s, were arrested in relation to the operation. They are being held at Clondalkin Garda Station.

Meanwhile, in a separate operation by customs and gardaí from Santry, 154kg of cannabis resin with a street value of over 2m was seized when a truck was stopped on the Navan Road in Dublin.