Man arrested after €432k in cannabis plants seized at growhouses in Ballinasloe and Athlone

Eva Osborne

A man in his 30s was arrested after gardaí seized €432,000 in cannabis plants between growhouses in Ballinasloe and Athlone.

As part of an ongoing investigation targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the region, gardaí in Co Galway conducted a planned search of a residential property in Ballinasloe on Friday.

During the course of this search, the Divisional Drugs Unit discovered a sophisticated growhouse operation within the premises and seized 160 suspected cannabis plants worth approximately €128,000 (pending further analysis).

A man aged in his 30s was arrested at the scene and detained at a station in the Garda North Western Region under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

In a follow-up search, gardaí in Co Westmeath searched a residential property in Athlone and discovered another sophisticated growhouse, which contained a total of 381 cannabis plants, with an estimated value of €304,800 (subject to analysis).

The man was subsequently charged to appear before a special sitting of Galway District Court on Sunday.