Heroin seizure is biggest in State's history

A massive drugs bust in Ireland has turned up probably the largest single seizure of heroin in the history of the State, a top officer said today.

Sea ports and airports have been notified of the identities of two suspects who fled an apartment in west Dublin where Garda officers recovered drugs valued at between €12m and €15m.

Uniformed officers carrying out the raid were shocked at the magnitude of last night’s find, which included a Heckler and Koch sub-machine gun, a silencer, thousands of rounds of ammunition and magazines for machine pistols.

Detective Superintendent PJ Browne said: “This is huge. It would be the most significant seizure, probably in the history of the State, in any one place for heroin.”

He added: “I should hope organised crime gangs that would have brought this into the country have received a serious dent.”