Five quizzed over cocaine and cash seizures

Gardaí were tonight questioning five men after major seizures of cocaine and cash in Dublin and Cork.

Detectives discovered €3.5m worth of cocaine in two wooden crates in the back of a van in Dublin’s North Strand, while a raid on a house in the suburbs of Cork city uncovered €120,000 in cash.

Gardaí believe a West African gang imported the cocaine from South American via Lagos and Amsterdam and were linking up with Irish criminals to distribute it.

Two Dublin men, both of whom are known to gardaí, were arrested along with a Nigerian man when the van was stopped in the North Strand area at 7pm yesterday.

The men are all in their 30s and can be held for up to seven days under Section two of the Drug Trafficking Act.

The seizure was a joint operation between officers from the Garda National Drugs Unit and Customs officers.

The 25 kilos of cocaine found in the van was stored in black cellophane bags in two wooden crates.

Detectives carried out follow-up searches of premises in Clondalkin, Finglas and Tallaght but no further arrests were made.

In Cork, gardaí investigating a criminal drugs gang seized €120,000 in cash in a raid on a house in Glanmire.

A man in his 60s was arrested and taken to Mayfield garda station for questioning under section two of the Drug Trafficking Act.

Another man in his 30s was also arrested during a search at Wolfe Tone Street in the city, and taken to Gurranabraher Garda Station.

In Kerry, gardaí seized amphetamines worth €40,000 in a raid on a house in Killarney. A man in his 30s was arrested and also taken to Gurranabraher garda station.