Garda drugs raid connected to 'sophisticated cocaine factory'

About €8.5m of cocaine and two guns were discovered in a planned raid on a house, gardai said today.

Detectives swooped on the home in the Terenure area of south Dublin last night and uncovered the massive drugs haul.

No arrests have been made.

The seizure is linked to the discovery last week of a "sophisticated cocaine factory" in the Tallaght area.

A Garda spokesman said the cocaine could have a street value of up to €8.5m, subject to analysis.

The two firearms were described as semi-automatic handguns.

A cocaine mixing plant was uncovered inside the home.

The search operation was carried out by officers from Kevin Street Station and gardaí from Terenure as part of a continuing investigation into organised crime.

Aengus O Snodaigh, Sinn Féin justice spokesman and TD for Dublin South Central, said the seizure would be a significant blow to a major crime gang.

“The constituency I represent has been ravaged by drugs and drug related gun crime for many years,” he said.

“Residents in many estates are living in a constant state of fear and intimidation from these drug dealers and gangsters.”

He also warned against complacency in the fight against organised crime.

“This, no doubt, only represents a fraction of the drugs coming in to the country,” he added.