Gardaí in Cork and Cobh recover drugs worth €40,000

Four young men released after arrests in two separate Garda operations

Gardaí in Cork are to prepare files for the DPP following the release of four young men following two separate seizures of drugs worth almost €40,000 in separate Garda operations over the weekend.

In the first operation, members of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad recovered €20,000 worth of drugs when they raided a house in the Curraheen area of Bishopstown at around 8pm on Friday.

Officers recovered cannabis worth an estimated €18,000, €1,000 worth of ecstasy and €1,000 worth of ketamine during the search of the house. They arrested two young men in their 20s.

The two men were taken to Togher Garda Station and detained under Section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act.

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Both men were held overnight and questioned about the seizure but were released without charge on Saturday. Gardaí will now prepare a file on the matter for the DPP, a Garda source said.

Meanwhile, gardaí in Cobh also had success in a drugs operation when they stopped and searched a car at Belvelly on the approach road to Cobh and recovered €18,000 worth of drugs in the vehicle.

Officers found cannabis worth an estimated €16,000 and €2,000 worth of cocaine when they searched the car and arrested the three occupants of the vehicle, two 19-year-olds and an 18-year-old, all from Cobh.

The 18-year-old was subsequently released but officers detained the two 19-year-olds under Section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act, which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to seven days if necessary.

The two teenagers were taken to Cobh Garda Station and held overnight for questioning, but were released without charge at 5pm on Sunday. Gardaí will now prepare a file on them for the DPP.

Gardaí said the operation was intelligence led and hailed it as a significant seizure of drugs, which they believe were destined for distribution and sale in Cobh and the Great Island area.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times