A NUMBER of houses were searched by gardaí in Cork City as part of investigations into the largest ever heroin seizure in the city.

An estimated €425,000 worth of heroin was seized following calls from the public to gardaí about suspicious activity on Harbour View Rd in Knocknaheeny.

Gardaí from the Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit carried out a search of a car believed to have travelled from Dublin on Thursday after it stopped outside a house on Harbour View Rd after 11pm on Thursday night.

Three kilos of heroin were seized.

Two men, a 42-year-old and a 57-year- old, were arrested and the car was seized for a forensic examination.

The men, who are both from Cork City, were questioned yesterday evening in Gurranabraher Garda Station under drug trafficking legislation.

Throughout yesterday, investigating garda continued their enquiries in the area and sources said that at least two houses were searched by investigators.

No further arrests were made.

Gardaí said it was the biggest seizure of heroin ever made in the city.

Last year, 2.5kg of the drug, with an estimated value of €350,000, was seized in a garda operation on St Patrick’s Street.

The latest seizure will be sent for analysis to establish its exact purity and value.

Superintendent Michael Comyns praised local residents, saying: “Gardaí were only able to act so quickly on this because they had calls from the local community about unusual activity.”

People living in the Knocknaheeny area have welcomed the seizure, especially given the size of the haul.

A spokesman for Impact Our Community Matters group said: “We welcome the tip-off from the residents in relation to this. Three kilograms of this drug taken from Knocknaheeny is great news.”

Fianna Fail councillor Tony Fitzgerald said a good partnership has built up between locals and gardaí through the local policing forum and Neighbourhood Watch groups, which has now paid off.

“This seizure is going to save lives,” he said.

Clinical director of the Tabor Group, Mick Devine, said the seizure has resulted in “dangerous drugs” being kept off the streets of Cork and Ireland, “which makes for a safer community.”

He also urged addicts to make contact with the Tabor Group for support.