Gardaí seize €8.2 million of drugs in major pan-Dublin raid

As part of ongoing investigations into organised criminal activity linked to drug trafficking, Gardaí carried out a coordinated operation on the 7th and 8th of October aimed at dismantling a well-structured criminal organisation involved in large-scale drug distribution.

The operation was led by the Terenure Drugs Unit, with support from the Serious Crime Unit Terenure, the DMR South Divisional Crime and Community Engagement Units, the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), the DMR Armed Support Unit and the Stolen Car Unit of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI). A total of 60 Garda personnel participated in the operation.

In the course of the operation search warrants were executed at 16 properties across South Dublin, West Dublin, Meath, Westmeath, Laois, and Offaly.

During the searches, Gardaí seized in excess of 110 kilograms of suspected cocaine and 1.5 kilograms of suspected heroin, with an estimated street value of €8.2 million. The drugs were recovered from two vans seized during the operation and will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis. Additionally, cash totalling £38,000 sterling and €63,000 euro was confiscated.

To date, the total of controlled drugs seized under this investigation is: –

• 169.25 kgs of cocaine, circa €11,847,000
• 2.4 kgs of diamorphine, circa €330,000
• 7.4 kgs of cannabis, circa €148,000
• 120,000 of zoplicone tablets, circa €240,000

Total value of drugs seized is circa – €12,565,000

There have been 23 arrests to date.

One male, aged in his 40s, was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking offences. He is currently being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at a Garda station in the Dublin Region.

Investigations are ongoing.