crime bust Three arrested as gardai seize €720k of suspected cannabis along with €22k in cash

Neil Fetherstonhaugh

February 26 2021 11:59 AM

Three men are being quizzed by Gardai this afternoon following the seizure of €720,000 worth of cannabis in a series of operations targeting serious organised crime activity.

Personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) assisted by Revenue Customs and the Garda Dog Unit stopped and searched four vehicles in Ashbourne and West Dublin yesterday.

Four addresses in Dublin, Meath and Louth were also searched.

A total of 36kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €720,000 was seized along with €22,000 in cash.

Of the three men who were arrested, two are aged in their 30s and one is in his 40s. They are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Ashbourne and Ronanstown Garda Stations.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, head of Organised and Serious Crime said they would continue to work with their law enforcement partners "to tackle organised crime that impacts negatively on communities".

“The seizure of a significant quantity of illicit drugs and the arrest of three suspects demonstrates the value of ongoing positive working relationships forged by An Garda Síochána with partner agencies, in Ireland, with the Revenue Customs Service,” he added.