Gangland drugs make up 40% of €210m worth of drug seizures in 2023

The Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit also identified 53 people as potential victims of human trafficking in 2023 – a 26% rise on 2022

The operations involving Garda National Drug and Organised Crime Bureau reached a climax in September 2023 with the dramatic military-garda intervention off the Cork coast targeting the MV Matthew cargo vessel, in which 2.2 tonnes of cocaine was seized, the largest in the State’s history. File picture: Niall Carson/PA

More than €210m worth of drugs were seized by the Garda gangland unit in 2023, accounting for around 40% of the total value of drugs seized by them since 2015, new figures show.

The Garda Annual Report 2023 said that 192 people were arrested by the Garda National Drug and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) for various organised crime-related offences, compared to 173 in 2022. These crimes include drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms offences.