Gardaí arrest eight in €4.6m cannabis seizures

Gardaí have arrested eight men and seized cannabis plants with an estimated street value of €4.6m in a series of coordinated searches at six locations around the country.

The searches took place in counties Louth, Mayo, Dublin, Wexford, Westmeath and Longford within the last 24 hours.

The searches form part of 'Operation Nitrogen' led by the Garda national drugs unit working in co-operation with local gardaí.

In total 5,800 plants were recovered during the operation and they are thought to be worth around €4.6m pending analysis.

Four men were arrested after Gardaí searched an industrial unit on the Connaught Road in Co. Longford, where 1,700 cannabis plants were found.

A further 1,000 plants were discovered at an industrial unit at Cornafulla, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, and one man was detained there.

Two more men were arrested at an industrial premises in Drogheda Business Park, Co. Louth, where 1,600 plants were seized.

In Campile, Co. Wexford a commercial property was searched by officers who uncovered 1,000 plants and detained one man.

A number of items were also seized at a house in Foxborough Hall, Lucan, Co. Dublin, while a further search at an industrial unit in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo turned up 500 canabis plants, however no arrests were made during this search.

Gardaí say investigations are ongoing.