Gardaí seize over €670,000 in cash from East Cork suspect 

A significant player in the East Cork drugs trade, the man was arrested in Dublin on Tuesday and detained under drug trafficking law

A forensic examination, including DNA analysis, will be conducted on the cash that gardaí seized from the car the man was driving in Dublin. Stock picture

A significant player in the East Cork drugs trade has been arrested after €672,000 in cash was seized by gardaí from a car he was driving in Dublin.

The individual, aged 38, has been a target of drug officers in Midleton for some time.

They have previously caught him with a significant amount of cash and he has been before the courts before.

On Tuesday morning, he was stopped by officers in the Dublin south city area and a search was conducted of his vehicle.

A massive cash haul was taken away in evidence bags and a forensic and DNA examination will be conducted on it.

Gardaí noted that the amount of cash seized was “very significant” in value.

Garda HQ said the arrest and seizure was part of an ongoing investigation into the target by the Cork county divisional drugs unit.

The operation was organised with detectives in the Serious Crime Unit in Donnybrook Garda Station, part of the Dublin South Central Division.

It is not yet clear if the sizeable amount of cash was a payment for money owed or was to be used to either purchase drugs or was the result of a sale of drugs.

In a statement, the Garda Press Office said: “Over €670,000 in cash was seized and one man was arrested in Dublin on Tuesday, February 20 as part of ongoing investigations into the sale and supply of controlled drugs in County Cork.

“At approximately 10am, Gardaí from the Donnybrook Community Engagement Area stopped a vehicle in the Mespil Road area of Dublin 4.”

The statement said: “Approximately €672,000 in cash was subsequently seized during the course of a search. The driver, a male in his late 30s, was arrested and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda Station in Dublin.”

This provision allows for a maximum detention period of seven days, on application to the courts.

The Garda statement said: “This seizure is as a result of ongoing investigations into the sale and supply of controlled drugs by Cork County Divisional Drugs Unit based in Midleton and co-operation with the Serious Crime Unit based in Donnybrook, Dublin.”

It said investigations were ongoing.