€700,000 worth of suspected cocaine seized

Two men were arrested and €700,000 worth of suspected cocaine, €60,000 worth of cannabis and more than €40,000 in cash were seized during searches in the Douglas area on Tuesday 30 December.

The two men (aged in their 30s and 40s) were detained pursuant to Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, at garda stations in Cork.

Gardaí from Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit made arrests and seizure as part of Operation Tara.

Follow-up searches were conducted by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) in the Dublin 14 area, on Wednesday 31 December, and an additional 0.5 kg of suspected cannabis with an approximate value of €9,000, along with €4,000 cash were seized.

The seized drugs are subject to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland.

A spokesperson from An Garda Síochána explained: “Investigations are ongoing. This seizure forms part of Operation Tara, an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by the Garda Commissioner in July 2021.

“The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.”

Both arrested men have since been charged and appeared before a special sitting of Cork District Court this morning, 2 January.