Boy (17) arrested after MDMA valued at €600,000 found in post

Customs intercepted package which was then delivered to Lucan house as gardaí watched on

A teenager has been arrested in connection with the seizure of a consignment of drugs valued at an estimated €600,000 which entered the State through the post.

Gardaí and Revenue’s Customs Officers suspect the 17-year-old arranged for the drugs to be sent to him from abroad, possibly after ordering them online.

The parcel of MDMA was detected as it came into the country on Tuesday. An operation was then put in place and the parcel was brought to the intended address via a controlled delivery which was monitored by the Garda.

Once the package was delivered, investigators moved in and arrested the teenager on suspicion of being involved in the smuggling attempt.

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While the smuggling of illicit drugs in parcels mail or the regular postal service is common in small quantities, the haul of MDMA valued at €600,000 represents one of the biggest postal or parcel seizures ever made in the State.

The teenager was detained for questioning at Ronanstown Garda station before being released without charge pending further investigation.

A house in Lucan was searched as part of the operation, which involved the Lucan Drugs Unit, Revenue Customs Officers and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times