Hospital worker arrested over €1.5m drugs haul

GARDAÍ carried out searches at a Dublin hospital following the arrest of one of its employees in a major drugs operation, it emerged yesterday.

The worker at St Joseph’s Hospital in Raheny was one of four people arrested by detectives. The Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU) seized heroin and cocaine with an estimated street value of €1.5 million in the operation.

The GNDU, backed up by the Clontarf Drug Unit, carried out a number of searches in north Dublin on Thursday, including at St Joseph’s Hospital.

Gardaí are not thought to have uncovered any drugs in searches at the hospital.

The GNDU is investigating whether the worker was using the hospital as a place to store drugs.

Senior officers from the GNDU spoke to hospital management on Thursday and again yesterday about the employee.

In other searches in the Coolock area, the investigating team uncovered large quantities of drugs.

The seizure included 4.5kg of heroin, worth €900,000, and an estimated 9kg of cocaine, with a street value of €600,000.

In follow-up searches elsewhere, officers seized a loaded Uzi submachine gun.

Gardaí confirmed that four men, two aged in their 20s and two in their 40s, were arrested in the operation. All four are being held under section four of the Drug Trafficking Act, which allows a maximum detention period of seven days.

Officers believe the large haul of drugs is connected with a major north Dublin gang.

The seizure is the second major drugs haul in north Dublin this week.

Last Monday, the GNDU seized 400kg of cannabis, with a street value of €2.8m in Cloghran. Two men were arrested in that operation.