Suspected €7.9m drugs haul seized in cross-border crackdown

By Rebecca Black, PA

A suspected €7.9 million (£6.5 million) drugs haul has been seized following a cross-border operation.

Cannabis, cocaine and ketamine are believed to have been discovered concealed within food packaging following the search of premises in the Mallusk area of Newtownabbey, Co Antrim, on Monday.

It came as detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána worked together as part of the Joint Agency Task Force.

A 28-year-old man was arrested at the scene on suspicion of supplying class A and class B controlled drugs.

Detective Inspector Conor Sweeney said he is delighted the drugs have been removed from circulation.

“We believe the drugs on this seizure were intended to supply various markets across the UK,” he said.

“The Joint Agency Task Force was established with the aim of bringing a concerted and enhanced effort to tackle cross-jurisdictional organised crime.

“All partners within the task force are totally committed to working together to reduce the misery caused by drug smuggling and to dismantle the organised groups profiting from this type of criminality.

“It is not difficult to imagine the harm that would have been caused by this volume of drugs being dealt on street corners within our communities to vulnerable people, children and those with addictions issues.

“Nor is it difficult to imagine the mayhem that the organised criminals behind this would have wreaked with the millions of pounds of profit they potentially stood to make.

“I am delighted the drugs have been removed from circulation and that this income stream has been denied to the criminal network.”

However he added: “We recognise there is still much work to be done to tackle such serious and organised criminality.

“We rely on the help of the community to do so and would appeal to anyone with information or concerns to contact us on 101.”