Man (40s) arrested after gardai seize suspected cocaine worth €70k in Galway City

Gardaí attached to the Galway Divisional Drug Unit assisted by other units carried out a search under warrant at a residence in Newcastle, on Thursday night at approximately 9.30pm.

During the course of this operation suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of €70,000 was seized. The drugs will be sent for further analysis.

“A man (40s) was arrested at the scene and was taken to Galway Garda station where he was detained under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996,” gardai said.

“He has since been released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. Investigations ongoing.”

This seizure forms part of Operation Tara, the national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021.

The focus of Operation Tara is 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.