Strong rise in heroin hauls, say gardaí

THERE has been a substantial rise in large heroin hauls in recent months, figures show. Garda sources report heroin appeared to be more available on the streets despite the seizure of large quantities of the drug.

Garda figures show that 18.75kg of heroin, with an estimated street value of €3.75 million, have been seized by gardaí in Dublin in the last three months. In the most recent haul, detectives yesterday seized a kilogram of the drug, worth €200,000 on a street, in Tallaght, west Dublin.

Two people - were arrested by the Tallaght Drugs Unit after their car was stopped on Kiltipper Road: a 26-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman.

It followed the seizure of three kilograms of the drug on Monday night and the arrest of a 21-year-old man.

That seizure was part of a major surveillance entitled Operation Giraffe, into a 34-year-old drug boss, suspected of supplying massive quantities of heroin to south-west Dublin and the south inner city.

The operation is being conducted by the Garda National Drugs Unit and the Crumlin Drugs Unit.

One officer said heroin appeared to be readily available in the area: “There is seemingly plenty of the stuff around. We suspect this seizure of three kilos is probably one in a series of three kilograms he has around the place.” Previous heroin hauls include:

2.5kg, worth €500,000 in Dun Laoghaire on September 28;

1.25kg, worth €250,000 in Harold’s Cross on September 17;

1kg, worth €190,000, in Ballyfermot on September 6;

2kg, worth €400,000, in Coolock on August 22;

8kg, worth €1.6m, near Kilcullen, Co Kildare on August 5.

In April, gardaí recovered 6kg of heroin, worth €1.2m in Baldoyle, Co Dublin. A UN report last March predicted a rise in the trafficking of cheap heroin following bumper crops of the opium poppy in Afghanistan.