Five men to appear in court over €5m drug seizure
Updated 19 April 2014 06:20 PM
Five men will appear in court this afternoon in relation to a drug seizure worth €5m.
Gardai seized the drugs in Dublin and Meath throughout the week as part of a concentrated effort by the Garda National Drugs Unit.
A total of nine men were arrested and firearms were also found, in addition to the drugs.
Cannabis herb (178kgs) with an estimated street value of €3.56m; cannabis resin (261kgs) with an estimated street value of €1.57m; 76,000 tablets (believed to be Ectasy) with a street value of €760,000 and six firearms (including one machine gun) were all seized by Gardai.
The nine men arrested are being detained at different stations throughout Dublin including Ballymun, Blacnhardstown, Finglas, Clondalkin and Store Street.
Detective Chief Superintendent John Mc Mahon of the Garda National Drugs Unit said today: "Gardaí have today disrupted and dismantled a major gang which operated drug trafficking into Ireland.
"An Garda Síochána is relentless in the pursuit of drug traffickers.
"This operation is part of on-going Garda activity to tackle organised crime and take drugs and firearms off our streets.
"This seizure shows how organised crime gangs from Ireland and abroad are using the profits from the sale of drugs such as cannabis to fund the importation of further drugs and firearms."
He confirmed Gardai liaised with the Police Service Northern Ireland during the course of their investigation.
This multi-million euro drugs bust is the latest significant drug seizure in the last month.
In the last four weeks, Gardai have seized €1m worth of drugs in Drogheda, Co Louth; busted a drug manufacturing plant with tablets worth €150k in Limerick and seized of €100k worth of cannabis in Galway.
Officials are currently working with international law enforcement, including Interpol, to track drug traffickers working in Ireland.
