Two men released after Cork cannabis seizure

Two men have been released without charge after being questioned over the discovery of cannabis worth an estimated €250,000 at two houses in north Cork.

Members of the Kanturk District Drugs Squad found the drugs when they raided two houses in the Lismire area between Kanturk and Newmarket at about8.30am yesterday morning.

Officers recovered 280 cannabis plants at various stages of maturity and about 2kg of harvested cannabis at the operation, which was located in sheds near the two houses.

Gardai described the operation as highly sophisticated with specialist lighting, heating, extractor fans and hydroponic feeding systems installed to cultivate the cannabis.

Detectives arrested a man in his mid-50s and another man in his late 70s at the two houses and brought them to Kanturk Garda station for questioning.

The men were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardai detain suspects for up to 24 hours but they were both released without charge late last night.

A Garda spokesman said samples from the plants and the harvested cannabis would be sent to the State Laboratory for analysis and a file on the matter would be prepared for the DPP.