Cocaine-processing gang caught on their own CCTV system, gardaí believe

Gardaí believe an internal CCTV system installed by a gang running a cocaine processing and distribution hub in Dublin will now incriminate them and lead to their conviction. The cameras were put in place by the gang leaders to ensure junior staff working for them, mixing their drugs, were not stealing cocaine from them.

However, the CCTV system is now set to be examined and gardaí believe the footage will show the gang leaders and their associates at the premises off the Long Mile Road handling the drugs.

It is believed to be the first such monitoring system at an Irish drugs-mixing facility, though CCTV surveillance of people at the lowest level of drug gangs is very common among the drug cartels of South America. Gardaí believe the gang working from the premises were processing and bulking up cocaine owned and imported by the Kinahan cartel.

Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, of the Organised and Serious Crime unit, said the discovery of the processing plant and 40kg of cocaine valued at about €2.8 million followed an intelligence-led operation by the Garda’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

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He added two vehicles had been stopped on Tuesday morning, in Ballyfermot and Blanchardstown, followed by the search of a commercial premises off the Long Mile Road, Dublin 12. At that premises – where an auto trade company was operating – the facility to process cocaine owned by the Kinahan cartel was discovered.

[ CCTV monitored drug mixers at Kinahan cartel’s Dublin cocaine hub ]

[ Over €1m of assets linked to Kinahan gang member are proceeds of crime, court rules ]

“This operation has demonstrated An Garda Síochána’s determination to disrupt cocaine supply lines and distribution networks in this country by transnational organised crime groups,” he said. “Today’s seizure will have a serious effect and it is a significant cocaine-mixing facility that we’ve taken out of action.”

The operation was a “hard lesson” for the people involved in working in the drug trade as some of the eight people arrested may now face “substantial” prison sentences.

Mr Kelly added he had been in Washington DC last week with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris and met “senior members of the Drugs Enforcement Administration to discuss how we co-ordinate our work targeting organised criminal groups”. He was also in London on Tuesday to meet members of the National Crime Agency for discussions around co-ordinating Irish and British anti-drug gang operations.

While the discovery of the drug-processing plant in Dublin was significant, Mr Kelly said a large quantity of nitric oxide canisters had also been found, a substance he said was being abused by young people in Ireland and had led to deaths in a number of countries. It was of “particular concern” to the Garda that a group so heavily involved in the drug trade was also dealing in nitric oxide “and the resulting harm to our communities”.

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Gardaí believe the premises off the Long Mile Road was being used to mix high-purity cocaine with a variety of bulking agents, thus increasing the weight and value of the drugs. Each kilogram of cocaine was being combined with 2kg of mixing agents before being repressed into bales for distribution to other crime gangs nationwide.

An industrial press was found on the premises, along with the 40kg of cocaine and 250kg of bulking agents. A money counter was also found along with €78,000 in cash, drug-mixing paraphernalia, communication services and over 2,000 canisters of nitric oxide, which is inhaled to bring about a high.

A total of eight people were arrested during the operation, one woman and seven men aged from their late 20s to early 50s. On Wednesday night, two of those detained had been released without charge while the other six were still being questioned at Garda stations in south Dublin under section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

The searches were part of Operation Tara, and also involved the Garda’s Special Crime Task Force, the Garda Dog Unit and personnel attached to the Divisional Drug Units in Ballyfermot and Sundrive Road Garda stations.