Gangland criminal questioned over firearms, drugs and cash haul

A GANGLAND criminal was being questioned in relation to a firearms, drugs and cash haul in Dublin.

He was one of three men, all suspected members of an organised drug trafficking gang, arrested by gardaí on Wednesday.

A total of 2kg of heroin, 30,000 valium tablets and nearly €50,000 in cash was seized, along with a firearm and ammunition. Two of the three men were arrested when drug officers raided a house on Sean McDermott Street, in the north inner city, early on Wednesday.

Gardaí seized a handgun and 10 rounds of ammunition in the house along with 0.5kg of heroin, worth around €100,000 on the street.

They seized €45,000 in cash and €40,000 worth of valium tablets.

The tablets are sold for €2 each on the street to heroin addicts, indicating that €20,000 individual tablets were seized.

A Garda source said valium, and other prescription sedatives, were often used by heroin addicts.

The Garda operation was led by the south central drugs unit, based in Pearse Street Garda Station, which was assisted by their colleagues in Store Street Garda Station on the northside.

Gardaí said two men, one in his late 20s and another in his mid-teens, were arrested at the house and detained at Pearse Street Garda Station under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

“The lad in his 20s is well known to gardaí. He is a major player,” said one Garda source.

A follow-up search was carried out at a house in Balbriggan, north Dublin, later in the day. They seized 1.5kg of heroin, with a street value of €300,000, along with 10,000 valium tablets, worth €20,000. They also confiscated €3,000 cash and some drug paraphernalia.

A third man, in his late 20s, was arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station. He was also detained under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act, which allows for a maximum detention period of seven days.

A Garda source said this was a “significant operation” and the quantities of drugs seized, as well as the cash and firearm, showed this was an organised drug trafficking gang.

Gardaí believe the gang was shipping in large quantities of valium from countries such as Spain, which he said had “very lax” attitude to bulk purchases of such drugs.