Heroin haul second biggest in State’s history, say gardaí

Gardaí have made what is thought to be the second biggest heroin seizure in the history of the State.

The heroin, estimated to weigh at least 25kg, was part of two linked drug hauls worth €5.5m in total.

The consignments were intercepted after a surveillance operation by the Garda National Drug Unit.

Gardaí believe both hauls were bound for separate west Dublin gangs.

There were also some reports yesterday that a Limerick drug trafficker based on the Continent may have been behind the importation of the heroin.

However, this has not yet been established and some Garda sources expressed caution on these reports.

The first seizure was made during a handover in Naas, Co Kildare, where gardaí recovered 35kg of drugs.

Tests have not been completed on the 1kg packs, but initial indications suggest it contains about 25kg of heroin and possibly 10kg of cocaine. However, sources said the amount of heroin could end up being greater.

An initial valuation of about €4.25m has been placed on the seizure.

A kilogramme of heroin is valued by the national drugs unit at €150,000 (down from €200,000 three years ago), while 1kg of cocaine is still valued at €70,000.

Garda sources said it was likely this haul had just been imported and that the purity of the drugs could be high and that each kilogramme may have been subsequently diluted down to 4kg.

The heroin haul is thought to be the second largest seizure of the drug in the State and the biggest since Oct 2006, when gardaí seized 54kg of heroin in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

After the seizure in Naas, a follow-on search of the home of one of the men uncovered another haul of drugs, estimated to be worth €1.25m.

This is thought to comprise 10kg of cocaine, 20kg of herbal cannabis, and 1kg of heroin. These drugs were divided up into 40 bags, suggesting they had already been cut up and were intended for distribution.

Two men, both in their 30s, were arrested in Naas.