Gardaí seize drugs worth over €9m as part of Interpol initiative

Ellen O'Donoghue

Gardaí attached to the GNDOCB have made over 20 arrests, seized cocaine and other illegal drugs valued in excess of €9 million and confiscated cash amounting to over €590,000 since April 2024.

These investigations were linked with Operation Lionfish Hurricane, a global initiative led by Interpol. The operation targets the trafficking of cocaine across the three major regions of South America, west Africa and western Europe.

Speaking about Ireland's participation in Interpol Operation Lionfish Hurricane, Detective Superintendent O’Reilly, of the GNDOCB said that An Garda Síochána’s involvement in international policing interdiction operations demonstrates their commitment to targeting transnational organised crime groups.

“These criminal groups do not respect international borders in spreading their harm and violence, but by the International Law Enforcement community working together we can take effective action disrupting their activities and keeping international communities safe,” he said.

Since the start of the operation, 24 participating countries across South America, west Africa and western Europe have reported seizures to Interpol, identifying 19 destination countries, including Ireland.

To date, this is the largest and most successful operation conducted by Interpol in terms of seizure volumes and values.

Over 615 tons of drugs and illicit precursor chemicals have been seized, with a total value exceeding USD $1.6 billion.