Man arrested over banned drugs on sale in head shop

GARDAÍ have sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the sale of banned mind-altering drugs in a head shop.

Detectives from the Garda National Drug Unit (GNDU) arrested the owner of the shop, located outside Dublin, and quizzed him after seizing a psychoactive substance at his store.

It is the first file on the matter since groundbreaking, catch-all legislation was introduced in August 2010, which banned the sale of psychoactive substances which weren’t already specifically prohibited.

The number of head shops fell dramatically following the enactment of the Criminal Justice (Psychoactive Substances) Act 2010, dropping from 102 the previous May to 19.

Shop owners emptied their stores of drugs and by October 2010 only 10 stores remained opened, none of which were reported by gardaí to be selling psychoactive substances.

The act, together with Department of Health legislation banning specific drugs, were thought to have effectively brought an end the sale of so-called legal highs in head shops, which had become a booming, and highly lucrative, trade in the proceeding two years.

Justice Minister Alan Shatter told the Dáil this week that since the act, GNDU officers have carried out a series of “test-purchasing operations”, with around 70 inspections taking place under Section 12 of the act nationwide.

He said this resulted in the seizure of a range of products with a estimated value of up to €100,000. This operation lead them to the subsequent arrest.

Mr Shatter said that the products seized include cannabinoids, which are synthetic cannabis mixtures, cathinones, which are synthetic stimulants and substances suspected of containing benzylpiperazines (BZP), an ecstasy-like product.

Mr Shatter said that “at this time”, three of the remaining trading head shops continue to sell products intended for human consumption.

“During a test operation at one of these premises a product subsequently found to contain Salvinorin A, a psychoactive substance which has now been placed under the control of the Misuse of Drugs legislation, was purchased,” he said.

“The proprietor of the premises was arrested and interviewed resulting in the submission of an investigation file to the law officers and further directions in the matter are awaited.”