Gardaí seized over €100,000 worth of drugs in a series of raids around the State during the bank holiday weekend. Conor Lally reports.
They discovered what they believe to be a cannabis growing operation at a house in a west Dublin suburb. The discovery was made when gardaí from the Blanchardstown drug unit raided a house in the Edgeworth housing estate.
Around €50,000 worth of cannabis was found during the search at 11pm on Friday. When the attic of the house was searched gardaí found high-powered heating lamps, cannabis plant seeds and an irrigation system, all of which would be needed to grow cannabis.
A 40-year-old man who was at the house was arrested and taken to Blanchardstown Garda station for questioning. He was detained under the provisions of Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act and later charged before being released on bail.
Meanwhile, garda drug units around the country made a number of arrests in planned operations against suspected drug dealers in Dublin, Tipperary, Westmeath and Kerry.
At 11.30pm on Friday gardaí from Listowel, Co Kerry, seized cannabis and ecstasy with an estimated street value of around €1,000. The drugs were found when officers stopped a car at Ballyhorgan near Lixnaw. A 17-year-old youth driving the car was arrested and questioned. He has since been released without charge.
On Friday night gardaí from Moate, Co Westmeath, seized three kilos of cannabis resin. The drugs with an estimated street value of €25,000 were found during a search of a car stopped on the Athlone Road at 11.15pm Two people, a 27-year-old man and 21-year-old woman, were arrested at the scene. Both were released without charge.
Gardaí in Tallaght, Dublin, have released a 20-year-old man they had been questioning in connection with a drugs seizure on Friday. Cannabis and cocaine with an estimated street value of €20,000 were found when gardaí stopped a car the man was driving on the M50.
He was arrested and taken to Tallaght Garda station. In a follow up operation gardaí searched two houses in Tallaght where more cannabis and cocaine were found. The man was charged in relation to the finds. He was released on bail and is to appear before Tallaght District Court on April 20th.
A man being questioned by gardaí in Tipperary in connection with the discovery of drugs and cash to the value of €35,000 at a house in Tipperary Town on Friday has also been released. Three kilos of cannabis and 1,000 ecstasy tablets were found.
The 32-year-old was arrested but was released pending further investigations. A file is being prepared for the DPP.