One of the State's largest remaining drugs gangs, trafficking heroin to west Dublin, is believed to have been behind the largest haul of the drug seized in the State.
Seven kilos of heroin, thought to be of high purity, was found in farm property between Balbriggan and Lusk, north Co Dublin, early yesterday.
There was no clear monetary value on the drug yesterday but its final "street" value could be anywhere between £600,000 and £3.5 million.
Yesterday's haul was close to the total amount of heroin seized by gardai last year: 8.2 kilos were seized in 1997. The seizure was more than the total amounts seized in 1995 or for any other previous year.
Gardai believe a number of small gangs in Dublin who were previously involved in robbery and other non-drug-related crime have moved into drug trafficking because of the huge profits to be made. The gangs are also filling vacuums left by the break-up of other major drugs gangs by Garda action.
According to gardai in Dublin, the price of heroin in the city has continued to stay at its lowest levels, selling for around £7 a quarter-gramme, about 20 per cent of the price of the drug five years ago.
The drug appears to be widely available in the city, being sold by young dealers, many of whom are selling from mopeds or motorcycles to avoid pursuit by gardai.
Yesterday's seizure resulted from a joint operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU) and gardai in Balbriggan.
The seven kilos of heroin were found on farmland near Lusk last month and a surveillance operation was put in place, leading to the arrests of six men and two women.
It is believed the "brown" heroin originated in south-west Asia and was brought to Britain by Turkish smugglers. Gardai believe it was destined for sale in west Dublin and belonged to a drugs gang based there.
The seizure and lengthy surveillance operation was kept from the media because gardai feared publicity about the find would make its way to one of the main men involved in the deal. He was out of the State at the time but was arrested by gardai when he returned to Dublin on Wednesday and taken to Balbriggan Garda station.
The heroin was concealed in a field about six miles south of Balbriggan and removed by gardai. As part of a follow-up operation, gardai from the GNDU carried out surveillance on the movements of a number of people around Dublin. On Wednesday night and yesterday they arrested six men and two women, who were detained under the Misuse of Drugs Act. Further follow-up searches were not ruled out.
After the arrests, there was a number of planned searches, during which cocaine was discovered in south Co Dublin. It is believed to belong to a former kidnapper and armed robber who has become involved in the drugs trade.
It also emerged yesterday that information gathered by the GNDU led the UK's National Crime Unit to seize 600 kilos of cannabis resin worth approximately £6 million. Some 450 kilos were found in Liverpool and 150 kilos in London. It is believed to have originated on mainland Europe and to have been en route to its final destination when police seized it.