Massive cannabis factory detected

About 5,000 cannabis plants worth an estimated €1.5m have been seized in one of the biggest drugs busts of its kind.

A warehouse on a rural industrial centre in the Midlands which had beenconverted into a massive grow house operation was raided last night.

The unit at Aughnacarna, a few kilometres north of Tullamore, Co Offaly, was split into 10 compartments, complete with individual water filtration systems, high powered lighting and air conditioning.

Garda sources revealed that eight of the sealed rooms were full of plants and operations in a ninth room had been dismantled with plants ready for packing and distribution.

A 10th room, also designed for cultivation of the drug, had been cleared out.

The cannabis factory is believed to be about five to 10 times the size of the average grow house operations frequently broken up in rural homes and cottages by gardaí over the last few years.

The warehouse had also been kitted-out with living quarters.

Three men, two in their 20s and one in his 30s and all from Asia, were detained during the raid near Durrow at 9.30pm last night.

The suspects were detained under section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act at Tullamore Garda station, Co Offaly.

The unit is believed to be the single biggest grow operation uncovered by gardaí and one of the most sophisticated. Doors and windows in the unit, including roof skylights, had been sealed.

Cannabis surpassed cocaine and heroin in 2010 as the most common problem drug among new cases on treatment programmes, according to the Health Research Board.