Over 190 drugs searches in Limerick estate since March

Gardaí aim to make locations "as hot as possible" for criminals moving around city 

Derelict houses in St Mary's Park, Limerick, have been used by drugs gangs.

A Garda operation targeting drugs gangs in a Limerick estate involved 191 searches, with two people "attached to" a leading crime gang to be charged.  

This was revealed by Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche, who gave an update on the operation in St Mary’s Park in Limerick to a joint policing committee (JPC) meeting.

Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan had asked the JPC for an update to the ongoing Operation Copóg, which has seen tens of thousands of drugs seized in the area.

Chief Supt Roche said there has been a “significant number” of searches and detections, both targeting the possession and sale of drugs in the area. 

This comes after gardaí set up checkpoints in March, to monitor people who are visiting the estate to buy drugs.

He also confirmed that two people attached to the “main crime gang in St Mary’s Park,” were charged, and will be tried in the circuit court.

Chief Supt Roche went on to say that since March 1, there have been 191 searches of people under the Misuse of Drugs Act and 16 houses were searched. 

In total, 19 people were found to be in possession of controlled drugs for their own personal use, while there were nine incidents where people were found in possession of drugs for sale or supply.

There were 19 vehicles seized under the Road Traffic Act and three people were arrested for driving under the influence of drugs.

A “violent disorder incident” was detected during the operation, with three people arrested and two people charged as a result.

As well as this, an operation was conducted where five people were arrested in relation to recent drug seizures and questioned regarding their involvement in the sale of drugs. 

It was also revealed that there had been one case of money laundering where cash was seized believed to be the proceeds of drug dealing.

Chief Supt Roche also said that separate to the above, “significant people” had been charged with money laundering and a number of drugs cases, arising from the area, were now before the courts.

He also said that the joint operation with Limerick City and County Council, which saw a number of houses knocked after they were used to store and sell drugs, “had been very successful”. 

He said that gardaí would continue to work closely with the council in relation to that.

The JPC also heard that other areas across the city were seeing their own issues with drugs and antisocial behaviour, with Johnsgate Village being described by Sinn Féin councillor John Costelloe as being in a “dire situation”. 

In response to this, Chief Supt Roche said the problem with successful operations, such as Operation Copóg, is that it causes “displacement” of the people involved in these crimes.

“So, they move from one place to another, so we follow them on, from one place to the other, and we keep facing them,” he said.

“That's just the nature of this type of problem, but we will make it as hot as possible. We won’t flinch at any stage, no matter where they are,” Chief Supt Roche added.