Crime crackdown as more than 50 buildings raided

More than 50 businesses and homes were raided today in an organised crime crackdown across Dublin.

One man has been arrested while more than €70,000 in cash, a small quantity of cocaine and cannabis has been seized.

A suspected firearm has also recovered along with what is believed to be stolen property, mostly electrical and electronic equipment.

Detectives are examining a substantial amount of documents and computer-based evidence also seized for evidence of money laundering and other offences.

The arrested man, in his mid-20s, is being detained at Crumlin garda station under section two of the Drug Trafficking Act.

The National Bureau of Criminal Investigation is leading the ongoing searches code-named Operation Gem.

The Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and Garda National Drugs Unit are all involved as are the Emergency Response Unit.

Meanwhile, seven replica firearms were found after gardaí received a tip-off about a suspected arms cache in south Dublin.

The weapons, all imitation handguns, were found in a bag lying on wasteground in the Ballycullen area of south Dublin yesterday evening.

In a separate search, gardaí raided a house in Blanchardstown, west Dublin, in a planned drugs bust at around 11pm last night and recovered a handgun and cannabis resin with an estimated street value of €7,000. A man in his 20s was arrested.

Earlier this week, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy revealed that 21 firearms, including eight handguns, had been taken off the streets since heroin dealer Michael 'Roly' Cronin and his driver James Maloney were murdered in Dublin on January 7.