Meeting today to highlight prominence of drugs in county Cork

THE prominence of drugs during recent months in Cork is expected to be highlighted at a joint policing committee meeting today.

The Cork County Joint Policing Meeting takes place this afternoon and is the first since the Covid-19 lockdown in March.

Chief Superintendent Con Cadogan said statistics relating to crime and the Covid-19 policing operation will be presented to the meeting.

He added: “The detection of drugs for sale or supply has gone way up this year.”

He said cannabis and cocaine are the most prominent ones in seizures.

In recent weeks, there have been a number of seizures of drugs in Cork, including cannabis, heroin, cocaine and tablets.

And last month, cannabis jellies were also seized.

Such jellies are becoming more available in Ireland in recent months and are packaged similar to sweets. The jellies are infused with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of marijuana.

Recruitment is currently underway in Cork for a new needle exchange outreach worker to engage with people who have a chaotic intravenous drug habit, including heroin users, who use in public areas.

The worker will be employed on a temporary basis to work with Cork Simon. There is already one needle exchange outreach worker in Cork.

Earlier this year, a nine year old boy found heroin needles and other drug-taking paraphernalia when he went to retrieve his football in Dunmore Gardens in Knocknaheeny.

He found three needles, spoons, blood stained tissues and condoms, and packets belonging to alcoholic wipes.

The incident came 24 hours after a syringe was found by a member of the public on Blarney Street, across the road from the entrance to Sunday’s Well girls primary school.

In March, three syringes believed to have been used for heroin were found on a footpath on Knocknaheeny Avenue.