Kilkenny, Carlow Garda operation sees 64 arrests

Gardaí mounted a massive assault on criminal activity in the Carlow/Kilkenny region yesterday, with a total of 64 people arrested during a “day of action” as part of Operation Thor.

Of those held, 22 were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act for a range of matters including theft, assault, fraud, misuse of drugs, and burglary offences.

Gardai said that nine people were arrested “for the purpose of charge” and appeared before sittings of Carlow and Kilkenny district courts.

A further 33 people were arrested on foot of committal and penal warrants.

In all, 29 houses and one business premises were searched in the Kilkenny City, Urlingford, and Castlecomer areas during the operation.

Drugs including heroin, ecstasy, cannabis, cocaine, and amphetamine with an estimated value of €34,000 were seized.

A grow house was also discovered at a house in Castlecomer where cannabis plants with an estimated value of €4,000 were also seized.

Elsewhere, a handgun was recovered during a search of a house in Kilkenny City.

During the day, some 60 checkpoints were carried out by gardaí across the division.

The operation involved 130 gardaí along with 50 students from the Garda College.

A Garda spokesman said a visiting group of 30 European police officers attended a briefing at Kilkenny Garda Station and were present at some of the checkpoints as observers.

Speaking at the commencement of the operation, Chief Superintendent Dominic Hayes said: “The objective of the operation is to disrupt criminals living in and travelling through the Kilkenny/Carlow Division.

“Criminals will be deterred from committing crime in an area perceived as being heavily policed. This operation will also assist in the detection of criminal offences through proactive policing activities.”