Issue Date: 16th July 2023
Gardaí with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau have seized cocaine and cannabis valued in excess of €2.1m, as well as over €112,000 cash following searches in Kildare and Westmeath on Saturday 15th July 2023. The operation which targeted transnational organised crime, was supported by a number of national units and personnel from the Eastern Region and led to the arrest of five men and one woman.
During an initial search, Gardaí seized approximately 29kgs of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of around €2m. €112,050 in cash was also seized.
As part of follow up searches, a pill manufacturing facility was discovered containing two pill making machines. Cannabis with an estimated street value of €125,000 was seized along with other drug paraphernalia. A cannabis cultivation facility was also discovered.
Following this operation, two men have been charged with drug related offences and are due to appear before Naas District Court on Monday morning, 17th of July 2023.
Another man and woman have since been released without charge pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Two other men remain in Garda custody at this time.
Following the arrests Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, the officer in charge of the Organised and Serious Crime section remarked:
"I commend the detectives involved in this successful operation to disrupt an organised criminal group exploiting our communities. This work shows our absolute determination to target the activities of key individuals involved in the production and distribution of controlled drugs. Illicit pill manufacturing is undertaken in dangerous clandestine facilities with no control measures whatsoever in place, adding to the risk to end users”.
