Gardaí in Cork seized drugs valued at more than €150,000 and arrested two men following two operations in a Cork town yesterday. 

"At approximately 6:45pm, Gardaí stopped and conducted a search of a car on the Inniscarra Road, Ballincolling, Cork," a spokesperson told The Echo. "During the course of the search, €35,000 of cocaine was located in the vehicle. 

"A man in his 20s was arrested as a result and is currently detained under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Gurranabraher Garda station."

At approximately 9pm, in a separate operation, Gardaí conducted a search at a residential property in Highfield Park, Ballincolling. 

"During this search, €122,500 worth of cocaine was discovered," the spokesperson said. "A man in his 20s was arrested as a result and is currently detained under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Bridewell Garda station." 

The seizures were made as part of Operation Tara,an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on 2nd July 2021. 

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.

Gardaí said investigation are ongoing into the seizures in Cork and all seized drugs will now be sent for to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.