Five arrests as gardaí seize €5m of drugs

Four large industrial style cannabis grow houses have been discovered by gardaí during searches in Dublin, Waterford, Mayo, Louth and Kildare.

Five people have been arrested as part of the planned operation, while drugs worth an estimated €5m have been seized.

As part of Operation Nitrogen, targeting the cultivation of cannabis, gardaí today carried out raids at a number of industrial units at eight locations around the country.

Officers from the Garda National Drug Unit backed up by local divisional units searched properties in Tramore in Waterford, Swinford in Mayo, Ardee in Louth, Newbridge in Kildare and Buncrana in Donegal as well as Gardiner Street, Clondalkin and Blanchardstown in Dublin.

Four large industrial style grow houses were discovered in Tramore, Swinford, Ardee and Newbridge.

A storage depot for cultivation equipment was also discovered in Blanchardstown.

Two are being held in Ballina, two others in Tramore and a fifth man is in custody in Drogheda Garda Station.