Cork's top cop: 'Endless supply' of drugs in city is ‘frightening’

THE “endless supply of any type of drug you want” in Cork City is “frightening”, says Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, vowing that gardaí will continue to fight the “endless battle” on the abundant supply of drugs in the urban centre.

The city’s top garda, a former head of the drug squad, said a lot of the top targeted drug dealers in the city have been “taken out” by multiple seizures carried out by gardaí in Cork this year.

Speaking at a Joint Policing Committee meeting held on Monday, Chief Supt Myers said drugs are a real problem in Cork.

“It’s so easy to get drugs nowadays; online, it’s just frightening altogether, that’s now the easy way to get it.”

Despite this, Chief Supt Myers said the force is tackling the issue head-on and making progress.

“We have some ferocious efforts going on here in the city in relation to drug activity. There seems to be an endless supply of any type of drug you want — we are targeting those particular people who are bringing those drugs into our communities and our figures are stacking up.”

In the most recent statistics made available by An Garda Síochána, 275 seizures were made of drugs for sale and supply, down 8% on last year when 300 seizures were made, but Chief Supt Myers told the committee he was happy with the figures, which included some of the city’s “top targets”.

“Sale and supply, possession by people more commonly known as drug dealers, we have made 275 seizures this year, 8% down on last year, but you can take it from me that there are some very significant seizures in that 275, a lot of top targets were taken out so that is encouraging for us.”

He acknowledged the war on drugs is an “endless battle” but said it is one of his priorities as chief superintendent and as a former head of the Cork City drugs squad.

“It is an endless battle but we will continue to drive it on because it is one of my priorities.

“I was head of the drug squad here for many years and, as a consequence, it is something close to my heart.

“We need to tackle these people who are wrecking our communities.”