Laois Offaly Gardaí seize €500 k worth of drugs

Laois Offaly Division Gardaí have seized over €500,000 worth of drugs and made arrests following an operation mounted in Tullamore

As part of Operation Tara, Gardaí say they have seized suspected illegal cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy with an estimated total value of €545,400 in in the Offaly town on Tuesday, April 14.

A Garda statement issued to the Leinster Express / Laois Live  elaborated on the operation.

"During the course of a search under warrant, Gardaí from Community Engagement Tullamore, Offaly Drugs Unit and members from Tullamore Detective Unit seized 7.5kg of cocaine (with a value of approximately €525,000); 1kg of cannabis (€20,000) and ecstasy (€400). Two individuals (a male and a female, both aged in their 40’s) were arrested in connection with the investigation," said Garda HQ.

Gardaí explained that they were detained pursuant to Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, and detained a Garda station in Co Offaly. 

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Gardaí said the seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis and investigations are ongoing.

Gardaí said Operation Tara is an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by the Garda Commissioner in July 2021. They noted that it aims 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.