Dublin drug gang reeling after gardaí seize 44kgs of cocaine and €353k in cash
A west Dublin drug gang has been left reeling after a major garda operation led to the seizure of 44kgs of cocaine, more than €353,000 in cash and the freezing of €280,000 in bank accounts.
The massive operation, involving 37 searches of homes, businesses and vehicles, also led to the confiscation of eight vehicles, worth more than €200,000, as evidence of money-laundering or the proceeds of crime.
Luxury jewellery and designer watches were also seized and two men, aged in their 30s, were arrested.
Gardaí have been targeting this gang for many years and members of it have previously been caught, charged and convicted for storing cash, including one case involving €300,000 in 2017.
It is understood the huge haul of cocaine had been loaded into a van and parked outside the home of one of the targets in Co Wicklow. The gang, based in the Neilstown area of north Clondalkin, has properties across south and west Dublin and Wicklow and is considered a significant supplier of drugs.
Gardaí searched a house in Dundrum, south Dublin, of a target aged in his late 30s, and this man’s family home in north Clondalkin. The bulk of the cash was seized in those two houses.
The operation involved detective and drug units from the Dublin Metropolitan Region South and a dedicated regional task force under the command of Assistant Commissioner Dublin, Angela Willis.
Gardaí from the Clondalkin, Blackrock, Dun Laoghaire, Bray and Wicklow Districts also took part in the operation as did Armed support units, the Garda Dog Unit and the Customs Canine Unit.
A Garda statement said: “Gardaí have arrested two men following a day of action on Thursday, 1st February 2024, as part of ongoing investigations into the activities of a drug trafficking network based in the DMR and Eastern Region.
“A total of 37 dwellings, businesses and vehicles were searched throughout locations in Dublin and Wicklow.” It said the operation was led by the Serious Crime Investigation team, Drugs and Specialist Support Units of the DMR South, which is under the command of Detective Superintendent Colm O’Malley.
The statement said the searches led to:
- 44kg of cocaine seized following a search of a vehicle in Wicklow. The drugs are estimated to be valued at €3.1m. A man (30s) is currently detained at a Garda Station in the DMR in connection with this search. He is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996;
- €213,000 in cash was discovered at a residence in Clondalkin. A man (30s) is currently detained at a Garda Station in the DMR, under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 as part of this investigation;
- €140,000 in cash was seized in further searches. A total of €353,000 was seized as part of the operation;
- In excess of €280,000 frozen in bank accounts;
- Eight vehicles, estimated to be worth over €200,000 were seized as evidence of money-laundering / proceeds of crime.
- A quantity of jewellery, including designer watches, electronic devices, laptops, and smartphones were also seized.
It said that investigations are ongoing.
A senior Garda source said: “This is a great catch and again it shows what is out there. This is a great result from good local pro-active police work and hitting drug dealers’ houses.” The large haul of cocaine follows the seizure of 49kgs of cocaine by Revenue at Rosslare Port last month.
Last year saw a record amount of cocaine seized, dominated by the haul of 2.23 tonnes off the Cork coast in September and the seizure of 300kgs at a Limerick port last December.
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