Limerick gardai seize more than €1.2m worth of drugs in six months

LIMERICK gardai have seized more than €1.2m in drugs in the first six months of the year – with almost €700,000 of this figure made up by cocaine.

And on top of this, people stopped on suspicion of possession of drugs for sale or supply has shot up 36% during lockdown, with one councillor claiming crime lords are transporting substances across the city on scooters to target the most vulnerable.

“There are a lot of agencies working in the city on tackling drugs, but they have reported a rise in usage especially during lockdown,” metropolitan leader Sarah Kiely said, “It’s a society problem.”

Figures presented to members of the Joint Policing Committee also reveal that the number of people stopped on suspicion of having drugs for personal use was up 11% year-on-year.

And drug driving was up by 58%, with 57 of 137 cases of driving while intoxicated related to the use of largely illegal substances.

Sinn Fein councillor John Costelloe added: “I think it's only the tip of the iceberg. We have a drugs epidemic in our city at the moment. You can't walk down the main thoroughfare without falling over drug addicts unfortunately. They are falling through the cracks and the police need to be more proactive in arresting these insidious people who sell the drugs to our citizens.”

For his part, Chief Supt Ger Roche has said lockdown, and the fall in traffic by up to 80% has made drug users and suppliers easier to identify.

As well as €686,825 worth of cocaine, members of Limerick’s divisional drugs unit have seized €382,355 of cannabis, and €86,675 of heroin between January and the end of June 2020.

Some €40,035 worth of amphetamine was seized. The prescription drug Alpra​lazom accounted for €18,606 of seizures, while €15,240 of crack cocaine was recovered so far this year in Limerick.

Some €8,560 of MDMA (or ecstasy) was seized, with €455 of cannabis resin, €350 of acid, and €30 of Ketamine also recovered. Some €140,438 in cash was seized.

Cllr Costelloe said: “It's down to the law not being structured right to tackle the drug barons.”