€1.6 million in drugs, €700,000 in cash and 'a number of gold bars' seized by gardaí

Two of the searches were by gardaí targeting international crime.

GARDAÍ TARGETING NATIONAL and international gangland crime have made a number of significant arrests over the course of the last 24 hours, seizing an estimated €1.6 million in drugs as well as €700,000 in cash and a number of gold bars. 

Gardaí say that the drugs seizure came about after officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a car in the Kilinarden area of Tallaght, Dublin 24 yesterday. 

During a search of the vehicle, a significant quantity of a drugs belived to be cocaine and heroin were discovered. A 24-year-old man, who was the sole occupant of the car, was arrested. 

Follow up searches were carried out at premises located in Ashbourne and Ratoath, Co. Meath. In the course of these searches, suspected cocaine and heroin with an estimated value of approximately €1.6 million was seized. 

The drugs are subject to analysis and gardaí have also said that other drug related paraphernalia was discovered. 

Gardaí also arrested a 43-year-old Dutch man in the Dublin 4 area yesterday after he was found to be in possession of an estimated €200,000 in cash.

The arrest was also made by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau who were targeting people suspected to be involved in serious and organised crime at an international level. 

After the man’s arrest, follow up searches were carried out at a premises in the Dublin 4 area. In the course of this search an additional significant quantity of cash and a number of gold bars were seized. 

Gardaí say that some of the cash was vacuum packed and as a result the precise amount is yet to be established but that it is expected to exceed €500,000.

The 43-year-old man has been charged under section 7 of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering & Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 and is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice this afternoon. 

Earlier today, gardaí from the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation targeting international organised crime arrested a 40-year-old Irish man in Dundlak on suspicion of passport offences.

All three men arrested are still in garda custody in Tallaght, Irishtown and Dundalk garda stations. 

Garda assistant commissioner John O’Driscoll said the latest arrests represent “significant success” for gardaí so far in 2020.

“The operational activity undertaken by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau, in the first month of 2020, has resulted in the seizure of ten firearms accompanied by 2,000 rounds of ammunition; over €600,000 in cash and drugs to an estimated value of €1.6 million,” O’Driscoll said today.