Five people were in Garda custody in Dublin and Cork last night following the seizure of drugs with an estimated street value in excess of €6.5 million.
The biggest haul was made in Dublin when cannabis, heroin, cocaine and ecstasy were found in the south of the city after a major planned search operation.
Gardaí from the divisional drug unit based at Dundrum Garda station raided sheds and a yard at Cornelscourt, at about 6.30pm on Thursday.
During the search gardaí found varying quantities of a number of drug types including heroin, cocaine, ecstasy tablets and a small quantity of cannabis.
The drugs were taken to Garda Headquarters for analysis and depending on its purity are estimated to be worth about €6 million. Based on that valuation the haul would be the second biggest drugs seizure this year, after the €108 million seizure of cocaine found in Dunlough Bay, Co Cork, last month.
Two men were arrested in connection with the find in Cornelscourt. They are Irish nationals aged 27 and 26. Gardaí believe they are part of a significant drugs gang based in the south Dublin area.
The men were taken to Blackrock Garda station where they were being held last night under Section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act.
Their arrests and the discovery of the drugs was part of a major ongoing Garda operation into organised drug dealing in the Dublin area.
Meanwhile, three people were being held by gardaí in Cork last night in connection with a major drugs find there yesterday morning in an unrelated Garda operation.
Cocaine with a street value of €500,000 was seized in an early morning raid on a house in east Cork. The raid took place in Leamlara at 7am following several weeks of surveillance. Detectives from Fermoy Garda station were involved in the investigation backed up by officers from Midleton and Cobh stations.
A Garda dog unit was also involved in the operation.
A search of surrounding woodlands and fields was carried out yesterday morning.
Three females were arrested and questioned a short time later. They were being held at Midleton and Cobh Garda stations. All three can be detained for seven days. Anyone with information on the matter should contact gardaí in Fermoy on (025) 82100.