Drug factory busted and €2.5m of drugs seized in Dublin

Gardaí seized €2.5 million worth of drugs including MDMA, ecstasy and cannabis following a search of a residence in the Kingswood area of Dublin on July 16, 2020, as part of Operation Tara. Picture: An Garda Siochána facebook page

Gardaí in west Dublin dismantled a drug production facility and seized an estimated €2.5 million of drugs, including one of the largest hauls of ecstasy and sleeping tablets in recent years.

Based on intelligence, the Dublin West Divisional Drug Unit, based in Ronanstown Garda Station, searched a house in the Kingswood area of south Dublin.

In total they confiscated:

• €1.47 million worth of ecstasy;
• €275,000 worth of Xanax tablets and powder;
• €68,000 worth of cannabis (34kgs);
• €66,240 worth of ketamine 

The combined seizure of ecstasy comprised MDMA powder worth €40,860, blue ecstasy tablets valued at €176,190, white ecstasy tablets valued at €66,240 and a separate batch of ecstasy worth €1.187m.

The total value of the Xanax includes Xanax tablets worth €81,700, Xanax ‘pink Upjohn’ tablets worth €22,146 and pink powder for Upjohn tablets valued at €168,000.

A Garda statement said that officers uncovered a range of drug production and distribution equipment.

“In addition to the suspected controlled drugs seized, suspected drugs paraphernalia including a drugs press, mixing machine, weighing scales and storage material were also recovered,” it said.

It said a full investigation has been launched, and a man in his 20s had been arrested.

Chief Superintendent Finbarr Murphy of Dublin West Division said this was another example of the impact of Operation Tara on drug dealing.

"We will continue to detect and aggressively disrupt illegal drug dealing at all levels in order to protect our communities from the ravages of drugs," he said. "I will continue to increase the allocation of resources to meet this challenge."

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris set up Operation Tara this year to combat local drug dealing gangs and their wealth, and envisages additional resourcing of divisional drug units, which were hard hit under austerity.

In a separate operation, gardaí seized over €30,000 worth of drugs and almost €9,000 in cash in Co Wicklow after they identified a jeep, which had been reported stolen, outside a house on the Boghall Road in Bray.

A Garda statement said: "As Gardaí approached the residence to conduct a search under warrant, they observed a man with a backpack in the hallway of the property. The man ran towards the rear garden of the residence where he was apprehended by Gardaí."