Eight people arrested as gardaí seize cocaine worth €2.8m

James Cox

Updated: 3.15pm

Gardaí have arrested eight people and seized €2.8 million worth of cocaine following searches in Dublin as part of an operation targeting organised crime.

On Tuesday, personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau supported by the Special Crime Task Force intercepted two vehicles shortly after 11am in the Ballyfermot and Blanchardstown areas of Dublin.

In addition, a planned search of a business premises in the Long Mile Road area was conducted with the assistance of the Garda Dog Unit and personnel attached to the Divisional Drug Units in Ballyfermot and Sundrive Road Garda stations.

In the course of the operation an estimated 40kg of Cocaine with a street value of €2.8 million (subject to analysis), over 2,000 canisters of nitric oxide and €78,000 in cash was seized.

Also seized was a hydraulic drugs press, a quantity of mixing agent, drug mixing paraphernalia, a money counter and several communications devices.

Eight people, seven men and one woman, with ages ranging between late 20s and early 50s, were arrested in relation to drug trafficking and were detained, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, at Garda stations in the Dublin region.

In an updated on Wednesday afternoon, gardaí confirmed two of the men have since been released without charge. The other six people remain in Garda custody.

Investigations into the matter are ongoing.