More than €2m worth of drugs seized by gardaí after intercpeting vehicle 

The seized drugs has an estimated street value of €2.2m according to a Garda spokesman. They have been forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

Over €2m of illegal drugs including cocaine and ketamine were seized by Gardai in Co Laois on Friday and a man was arrested.

The seizure was part of on-going investigations under Operation Tara, a project targeting drug trafficking networks.

The Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau with assistance from the Clondalkin Drugs Unit stopped a vehicle on the M7 motorway in Co Laois on Friday evening.

Approximately €100,000 worth of suspected cocaine was discovered and seized by Gardaí.

A male, aged in his 30s, was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda station in Dublin.

A follow-up search was conducted of a residence in West Dublin. This led to a further seizure of an estimated €160,000 worth of cannabis, €1.2m ketamine, €530,000 in cocaine and €210,000 worth of diamorphine.

Cash and a number of items were also seized by Gardaí.

The seized drugs has an estimated street value of €2.2m according to a Garda spokesman. They have been forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

Investigations are ongoing.

Operation Tara was launched in July 2021.

“The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs,” the Garda spokesman said on Saturday.