Co-operation with Poland leads to more than €8m worth of drugs seized in Ireland

Thirteen Polish nationals were arrested in Ireland during the course of the investigation

Gardaí, with assistance from Revenue’s Customs Service, have seized 340kg of cannabis herb, 155kg of cannabis resin and 26kg of amphetamine, as well as more than €800,000 in cash, as part of the joint investigation. 

More than €8m worth of controlled drugs have been seized in Ireland as part of a joint investigation with Poland.

As part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations targeting transnational organised crime, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau has been engaged in a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) with Poland, co-ordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol.

Over €8m of controlled drugs have been seized in Ireland, with assistance from Revenue’s Customs Service, including 340kg of cannabis herb, 155kg of cannabis resin and 26kg of amphetamine, as well as more than €800,000 in cash. 

Thirteen Polish nationals based in Ireland were arrested as part of the investigations.

Signed with Poland on January 24, 2022, the JIT agreement was established to target a network of transnational Polish criminal organisations with leadership, transport and distribution cells based in Poland, Spain and Ireland. 

"These organisations were identified to be co-ordinating the importation of cannabis at a significant scale into Ireland as well as other European jurisdictions.

"The Joint Investigation Team successfully reached its conclusion in 2025 with evidential co-operation continuing to support prosecutions," said a Garda spokesperson.

During the course of the investigation, "extensive" co-operation and collaboration was achieved with law enforcement agencies across several European Union countries with all international co-operation and co-ordination facilitated via Eurojust and Europol.

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"Evidence provided by Ireland was shared with prosecutors in Poland and as part of the Joint Investigation Team, a number of the prosecution cases in Ireland were transferred to Poland for prosecution as part of larger organised crime prosecutions in the Polish jurisdiction," added the spokesperson.

In total, over 800kg of controlled drugs along with seven firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition was seized across a number of European jurisdictions. 

Charges have been filed against 170 individuals in Poland by the District Prosecutors Office in Gliwice and assets worth over €11m have been seized by Polish investigators across Europe as being the proceeds of crime. These assets have been and are currently subject to forfeiture cases in Poland.

The JIT Leader for Ireland, Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said: "This investigation again shows the international dimensions of transnational organised crime and demonstrates fully the benefits of our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement in other jurisdictions. 

"Such investigations co-ordinated via Europol and Eurojust continue to disrupt, prosecute and dismantle transnational criminal organisations impacting on communities in Ireland and across Europe".