Midlands gardaí arrest 36 after planned searches; charges brought against 21

Gardaí have arrested 36 people after a number of planned searches in which quantities of drugs were found.

Today's activity under Operation Thor took place between 8am and 5pm, covering the Thomastown District in the Kilkenny-Carlow division.

A number of planned searches were undertaken by search teams deployed in South Kilkenny. In total 12 properties were searched, seven of which were positive for controlled drugs including cannabis and cocaine.

Thirty-one of the 36 arrested people are being detained under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, at Kilkenny and Thomastown garda stations. Offences include thefts, assaults, fraud, burglary and breaches of section 15 Misuse Drugs Act 1977/84.

Twenty-one people have been charged and will appear at local sittings of Kilkenny District Court in the coming weeks. The arrests were made in counties Kilkenny, Monaghan, Carlow and Dublin.

Twenty-Four people were arrested on foot of existing warrants, with a total of 28 warrants executed.

A total of 25 trainee gardaí from the Garda College Templemore assisted with the operation. They observed the execution of warrants, arrests of suspects, prisoner management, conducting of checkpoints, court procedure and community engagement.