Cocaine left in car for gang to collect

GARDAÍ were following a definite line of inquiry last night after seizing €140,000 worth of cocaine from an English-registered car parked on Cork’s northside.

The drugs bust in a Mayfield housing estate foiled a suspected drop-off and pick-up operation involving a criminal gang based on the city’s northside.

It is understood the car had been parked in the area as part of an arrangement that would see members of the local criminal gang collect it and the drugs it contained.

Drugs squad officers said they were satisfied the car was not linked to anyone locally.

Detectives are trying to trace the car’s movements over the last few days in an effort to establish who parked it and where the drugs came from. A drugs squad spokesman said a number of avenues ofinquiry are being followed and gardaí are confident of a breakthrough.

The car was identified as being suspicious on Saturday night by officers from the Anglesea Street-based drugs squad.

A team of detectives swooped at about 11pm and recovered up to €140,000 worth of cocaine from the car.

The drugs were sent to Dublin yesterday for forensic analysis.

Gardaí believe the drugs were destined for sale locally. The seizure is a significant blow to drug-dealing operations in the area, the spokesman said.

He also said he was confident there was no link to several large drugs seizures, including cocaine, in the north Cork region in recent weeks.

Up to 40 files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions after a string of drugs busts sparked by the death in June of Pádraig O’Keeffe, 19, in Rathcormac, Co Cork.

His body was found on a road near his home hours after he attended a house party in Rathcormac where cocaine was readily available. Almost €500,000 of cocaine was seized at an isolated rented house in Leamlara, south of Rathcormac, earlier this month as part of the follow-up investigation.