Three men and one woman charged over €2.8m cocaine seizure in Dublin

The four, three men and one woman, will appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, at 10.30am.

Eight people had been arrested after gardai discovered €2.8 million worth of cocaine, 2,000 canisters of nitrous oxide and €78,000 in cash, in Dublin

Seven men and one woman aged between their late 20s and early 50s were detained over drug trafficking under Section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

Two others have since been released without charge, with a file now being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Two other men held by gardaí following the raid had earlier been released from custody.

The bust came after officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau supported by the Special Crime Task Force carried two traffic stops shortly after 11am in Ballyfermot and Blanchardstown on Tuesday.

A planned raid was also conducted at an industrial premises off the Longmile Road by gardai from Ballyfermot and Sundrive Road Garda stations with assistance of the Garda Dog Unit.

An estimated 40 kilogrammes of cocaine with a street value of €2.8 million (subject to analysis), over 2000 nitric oxide canisters and €78,000 cash was recovered. Also recovered was a hydraulic drugs press, mixing agent, drug mixing paraphernalia, a money counter and several communications devices.

Gardaí believe the location was being used as a cocaine mixing factory.

It is understood the business premises that was raided is linked to a man from south Dublin.

The operation was part of an investigation into the wider Kinahan Organised Crime Group drug network in this country.

The eight people that were arrested were quizzed by gardaí at stations around the city.

Meanwhile, the drugs will be sent for forensic analysis as investigations are ongoing.

Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly of Organised and Serious Crime said: "Today’s operation and substantial seizure of cocaine has shown An Garda Síochána is determined to disrupt the distribution networks of organised groups who cause harm to our communities.”