Three released as gardai probe €150k drugs haul

The men, aged 34, 32 and 18 were arrested on Friday after €150,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis was seized.

A vehicle was intercepted on the Ballymount Road on Friday evening at around 6.15pm and a quantity of cocaine was discovered.

During a separate raid in the Tallaght area, officers found a significant amount of herbal cannabis.

The three suspects were then taken to Tallaght Garda Station for questioning, but were released on Saturday evening.

The raids were made following an intelligence-led operation targeting drug traffickers in the greater Dublin region by officers from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

The operation was undertaken by using “advanced analytical and intelligence methods to disrupt criminals and their networks”, according to a garda spokesman.

Councillor on the Tallaght Drugs and Alcohol Force, Charlie O’Connor, commended the work done by the gardai, but told the Herald that there are still major drug issues in the area.

“It’s always good when the gardai are successful in dealing with these things, but the problem hasn’t gone away.

“Drugs Minister Aodhan O’Riordain came out to Tallaght last month and our task force made a presentation to him outlining all of the issues here,” Mr O’Connor said.

“There are more than 800 people still in treatment for drugs on an annual basis in Tallaght, so it’s still an issue.

“But seizures by the gardai are always something to be welcomed by decent people,” he added.

The Fianna Fail councillor said the problem is not just confined to Dublin 24.

“I think the gardai in Tallaght have been particularly busy when it comes to drug seizures, but I have to emphasize that it’s not the only place in the country that has a problem,” he said.