Seizures, arrests disrupt drug gang activities

GARDAÍ believe they have seriously disrupted a major drug distribution gang in Meath and Louth following further seizures and arrests.

Detectives based in Kells, Co Meath, arrested two men and confiscated 1.25kg of cocaine near Navan on Tuesday night. They also seized €21,000 in cash.

It brings to nine the number of suspected members of a drugs gang arrested by gardaí since last weekend.

Officers seized heroin, cocaine and cannabis, with an estimated street value of 1.8 million, belonging to the gang.

“It’s been a fairly significant week. We’ve certainly disrupted the gang, at least,” said Superintendent Gerry Cadden of Kells Garda Station.

Officers from Kells raided a three-bedroom semi-detached house in the village of Balreask, a mile outside Navan, at around 6.45pm on Tuesday.

They recovered 1.25kg of cocaine, with a street value of around €87,500, and arrested two men. The suspects, aged 48 and 43, are from Navan.

The raid followed on from an operation by Kells gardaí last Saturday in the town of Athboy, which netted up to 4kg of cocaine, worth around €280,000.

They also recovered nine firearms and a large quantity of stolen plant machinery.

Five people, from Drogheda and Dundalk, Co Louth, and from Navan, were arrested. Four have since been charged.

In a separate operation targeting the same gang, officers from the Garda National Drugs Unit seized heroin, cocaine and cannabis worth €1.5m in Trim, Co Meath, last Saturday.

The officers stopped a car and a van and arrested two men.

Gardaí suspect all nine men are members of the same gang, the leader of which was sentenced to jail a number of years ago.

Officers believe that two key men operating the business on his behalf have now been arrested.

In unrelated operations last weekend in Dublin, gardaí seized 2.5kg of heroin in Clondalkin and cocaine worth €20,000 in Ballyfermot.