‘Arrest of right dealer can have major impact’, says senior Garda

As up to 50 street-level drug dealers were charged yesterday, a senior garda said the arrest of the right supplier can have a major effect on communities.

Det Supt Seamus Boland of the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau was speaking at the culmination of three separate, long-term, covert Garda operations in Cavan, Portlaoise, and Blanchardstown in west Dublin.

Operation Sarto in Cavan resulted in 19 charges, Operation Nero in Portlaoise led to 16 charges, and Operation Rhea in Blanchardstown led to 19 charges.

“In local towns throughout the country, the significance of the person being arrested, the right person, can have an effect on drug dealing and damage caused,” said Det Supt Boland.

“A lot of the people at the higher echelons of drug trafficking aren’t causing the visible damage in local communities, where it is the local drug dealer who affects the quality of life and anti-social behaviour in local districts.”

Supt Joe Prendergast of Portlaoise, Supt Jimmy Coen of Cavan, and Supt John Quirke of Blanchardstown said drug crackdown operations by An Garda Síochána would continue.