Gardaí in Dublin seized drugs to the value of €11 million in two separate drug hauls in Dublin yesterday.
A Garda spokesperson said the two "major" seizures, one in Blanchardstown in west Dublin and the second in Phibsboro, on the north side of the city centre, were "totally separate".
Gardaí from the Blanchardstown detective unit and drugs unit seized drugs with a street value of more than €6 million yesterday evening. In an operation carried out in the Ballycoolin area, a lorry was stopped and searched at about 6 p.m. It contained cannabis and ecstasy.
One man in his 50s, whom gardaí describe as an Irish national, was arrested and is being detained at Blanchardstown Garda station under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act. He can be detained for up to seven days. The lorry is undergoing forensic examination.
Earlier in the afternoon a seizure of cannabis, with a street value of €5 million, was made closer to the city centre.
The discovery followed the search of a van in Phibsboro at about 12.30 p.m. yesterday.
An Irish man in his 20s was arrested in connection with the seizure. He is being held at Mountjoy Garda station under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act 1996.
The van has been removed and is undergoing forensic examination.
These are among the largest drug seizures to have been made so far this year.
Cocaine, along with a so-called mixing agent, with an estimated street value of €2 million, was seized in a house in Carbury, Co Kildare, last February.
On January 15th officers from the National Drugs Unit and the Cork regional drugs unit intercepted a €5 million haul of ecstasy in Co Laois. The drugs were recovered when a car was stopped and searched.
On January 23rd gardaí from the Santry divisional drugs unit, Dublin, recovered a €213,000 haul of cocaine and cannabis when a car was stopped and searched on Swords Road, Santry.