Gardaí seize huge haul of drugs from Lithuanian gang

GARDAÍ and customs have made the biggest seizure of methamphetamine, a powerful stimulant drug, in an international operation targeting eastern European trafficking gangs.

Officers seized 6kg of methamphetamine and 8kg of herbal cannabis after they swooped on a drugs shipment organised by a big Lithuanian gang.

The haul of methamphetamine dwarfs previous seizures of the drug in Ireland. A mere 5g were seized in 2007, 136g in 2006, 55g in 2005 and 0.6g in 2004.

A Garda spokesman said the haul was made at Birr, Co Offaly, on Monday by the Garda National Drugs Unit, working in conjunction with customs officers.

“This arrest is the latest in ‘Operation Chestnut’, an investigation set up to target east European drugs trafficking gangs impacting on Ireland,” said the Garda spokesman.

A customs spokesman said the drugs were found concealed inside two vehicles that had earlier arrived in Ireland by ferry.

“This operation, targeting international drug trafficking, forms part of an investigation of Lithuanian organised crime groups involved in the trafficking of drugs into Ireland.”

The Garda spokesman said the man arrested was being held at Tullamore Garda Station under the provisions of Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

He said follow-up searches were carried out in Cork, Kerry and Meath.

Both gardaí and customs said earlier 6kg of cocaine, rather than methampethamine, had been seized.

This was probably because methamphetamine, like cocaine, is also a white powder and, unlike cocaine, is a rare drug in Ireland, particularly in such large volumes.

Methamphetamine is a synthetic drug and is closely related chemically to amphetamine (commonly known as speed), but produces greater effects.