Gardaí last night hailed the seizure of €1.8 million worth of drugs and the arrest of five men in Cork city and county as a major blow against one of the biggest drug-dealing operations in the State.
Officers arrested three men near Ballinhassig in west Cork on Wednesday evening and seized more than €100,000 worth of cocaine. They followed it up yesterday with a fourth arrest in Cork city and a fifth arrest in west Cork along with the seizure of €1.7 million worth of cannabis in west Cork and Cork city.
Detectives believe that one of the men they arrested is one of the biggest drug-importers in the country, who has built up a network of up to 20 dealers who in turn supply between 50 and 100 smaller dealers with cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.
"This man has an extensive network of contacts abroad, including some Irish drug barons who have fled to the Continent, while he also has contacts in eastern Europe from whom he obtains his supplies," said a Garda source. Gardaí also recovered close to €100,000 in cash in the Ballinhassig operation, which they believe is the proceeds of the gang's drug-dealing activities in recent months.
