Guns, €300k cannabis, €12k cash, Prize Bonds, and a Rolex watch seized in Crumlin, Dublin

Garda personnel attached to the Crumlin District Drugs Unit and Crumlin uniform units carried out a number of searches in the area between Monday and Wednesday of this week

A total of five searches were carried out, resulting in the seizure of the drugs, cash and weapons.

“The drugs seized will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) to undergo further analysis,” gardaí said.

“The suspected firearms seized will be sent to the Garda Ballistics Unit for analysis.

“No arrests have been made at this time. Investigations ongoing.”

While the seizure of Prize Bonds is unusual they are seen as a relatively easy way for criminals to launder drug money.

With weekly prize draws of thousands of tax free prizes including a quarterly jackpot prize of €250,000, prizes are paid directly into a bank account or reinvested into new Prize Bonds.

Each Prize Bond purchased is allocated a bond number and the investment holds its original value. Instead of earning interest, Prize Bonds are entered into a weekly draw with a chance to win cash prizes.

Prize Bonds can be held indefinitely with no expiry date and can be cashed in partially or fully at any time after the minimum holding period of 90 days.

Funds are paid directly to a bank account within seven working days.