Nine arrested in biggest drugs raid in west of Ireland

GARDAÍ raided 20 premises in Galway yesterday in the biggest ever operation into drugs and organised crime in the west of Ireland.

The early-morning raids on dwelling houses, commercial premises and professional offices, follows an investigation that has been ongoing for months. One Galway family in the Bohermore area of the city centre has been at the centre of the probe as gardaí investigate a multi-million drugs operation in the west of Ireland.

The Galway suspects are believed to have links to a family in Sligo and to one of the Limerick feuding families. Gardaí arrested nine men in their 20s and 30s as part of Operation Foolscap which swung into action early yesterday morning.

A house at Rahylin Glebe in the Ballybane area on the east of the city was raided by armed gardaí, along with another private dwelling house at Rockfield Park in the Rahoon area on the west of the city.

The large-scale operation, in which gardaí from Galway were backed up by the Western Region Regional Response Unit, officers from the Criminal Assets Bureau, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, National Support Services and the Organised Crime Unit, continued throughout yesterday morning.

The offices of two firms of solicitors, one based in the city and the other in Co Galway, were also targeted.

The nine men arrested were taken to Mill Street station in Galway city and to Co Galway Garda stations at Gort, Loughrea, Ballinasloe and Tuam, for questioning.

A Garda source said that further arrests were likely as part of the operation.

It is believed that the arrest of a man in Belfast at the weekend, allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine after a flight from Amsterdam, was as a result of the ongoing investigation in Galway and co-operation between gardaí and the PSNI.

Gardaí say that Operation Foolscap is part of an ongoing investigation into organised criminal activity in the west of Ireland, including drugs and firearms offences, intimidation, extortion, burglaries and robberies.

Superintendent John Gilligan said that the operation had been planned for some time. “The arrests were for directing and participating in organised criminal activity. Items were seized, including four cars, mobile phones, documents and... computers and these will now be examined,” said Supt Gilligan.