Over €2.2 million worth of drugs seized by gardaí after vehicle stopped in Laois

Gardaí seized approximately €2.2 million worth of controlled drugs and arrested one man following two search operations on Friday, 11 July in Laois and Dublin.

In a statement from An Garda Síochána, gardaí said that officers attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), with assistance from the Clondalkin Drugs Unit, intercepted a vehicle on the M7 motorway in Laois as part of ongoing investigations under Operation Tara targeting drug trafficking networks.

Around €100,000 worth of suspected cocaine was discovered during the search and seized by gardaí. 

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A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda station in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.

After the search on the vehicle, gardaí said: "A follow-up search was conducted of a residence in West Dublin which resulted in a further seizure of an estimated €160,000 cannabis, €1.2 million ketamine, €530,000 cocaine and €210,000 diamorphine."

They added that a quantity of cash and number of items were also seized.

The total estimated street value of the drugs is €2.2 million. The seized drugs have been forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.

Gardaí said investigations are ongoing.