Two arrested after cannabis worth €10m seized in major Co Clare drugs bust

Authorities believe the half-tonne shipment entered Ireland through a coastal port; a major investigation is ongoing

Photo of herbal cannabis seized in Co Clare. Picture: Revenue

Two men have been arrested after an estimated half-tonne of cannabis was seized in Co Clare – with a final street value in the region of €10 million.

The consignment is believed to have entered the country after landing in a port or dock along the nearby coast.

It is understood there was a joint intelligence operation in place by both Revenue and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB).

The interception of the shipment was made by local garda units in Co Clare.

The men, both aged in their 60s, are currently detained at Garda Stations in Clare and Limerick under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice Drug Trafficking Act 1996.

A major investigation is continuing.

It is the largest haul of cannabis since last August, when 783kg of cannabis herb was seized by Revenue at Rosslare Port, with the assistance of gardaí. Authorities placed a value of almost €16m on that haul.

Last October, Revenue and GNDOCB seized 429kg of cannabis herb, worth an estimated €8.5m, in Tallaght, south Dublin.

Since then, 112kg of cannabis herb has been confiscated in Co Donegal in another joint Revenue–GNDOCB operation.