Over €700k worth of drugs seized across the country

By Joe Leogue

Gardaí have recovered drugs with an estimated value of more than €700,000 in a number of separate seizures in recent days.

On Thursday afternoon, gardaí spotted a man in his 20s acting suspiciously on MacCurtain St in Cork City. After he saw the gardaí, the man tried to hide in a doorway.

He was searched and found to have in his possession an estimated value of €45,000 worth of suspected cocaine. He was charged and appeared before Cork City District Court yesterday morning.

Separately, a quantity of suspected cocaine with a value of €50,000 was recovered following the search of a car near Abbeyleix, Co Laois, on Thursday night at around 8.20pm.

The search was part of an ongoing operation targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the Tipperary area. Two men in their 30s and 40s were arrested at the scene and detained at Thurles Garda Station under the provisions of the Drug Trafficking Criminal Justice Act.

Earlier that afternoon, a 26-year old man was arrested after €68,000 worth of cocaine was uncovered following a search of a house at Knockbridge, Dundalk, Co Louth.

The man appeared at a special sitting of Cavan District Court yesterday morning in relation to the seizure.

On Thursday morning, gardaí seized €50,000 worth of cocaine following an operation in Collinstown Park, during which an 18-year-old man was arrested.

During a follow-up operation, gardaí searched a house in the Ronanstown area and seized MDMA with an estimated value thought to be in excess of €90,000.

In a separate operation on Thursday morning, two searches were carried out in the Ballyfermot area of Dublin during which two firearms and crack cocaine with an estimated street value of €85,000 were recovered.

A 22-year-old man was arrested and detained at Clondalkin Garda Station under Section 30 of the Offences Against The State Act.

On Tuesday, gardaí and Revenue officers seized cannabis, drugs, tobacco, and cash to the value of approximately €252,000 following the search of business premises off Davis St, Co Limerick.

The haul included €100,000 worth of cannabis and controlled drugs, 170,000 cigarettes and 60kg worth of tobacco with a retail value of €132,000, and approximately €20,000 in cash.

A man in his 50s appeared in Tralee District Court on Thursday in relation to the search.

Over a kilogramme of herbal cannabis with an estimated value of €24,000 was found in a separate search of a residence in Lucan, Co Dublin, on Tuesday.

A 25-year-old man was arrested at the scene and detained at Ronanstown Garda Station before being released. A file will be to be submitted to the DPP.

Last Sunday, gardaí seized approximately €112,000 worth of suspected cannabis plants and €80,000 worth of suspected cannabis herb following the search of a house in Glenbeigh, Co Kerry.