Gardai in north Dublin seized a whopping €300,000 worth of cocaine, leading to the arrest of five people.
As part of a raid on Friday, Gardai raided a number of homes in Finglas. Officers arrived at a property in Finglas South about 10.20 a.m. and discovered suspected cocaine with an estimated worth of €20,000, a controlled tablet, and cash.
A woman in her 30s and a male in his 20s were then taken into custody.
They were taken to Finglas Garda Station where they were detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
In a basement bedroom and an above hot press, gardai discovered a suspected cannabis grow house during a follow-up search at a home in a different apartment building at this complex.
Officers also discovered a sophisticated operation suspected of manufacturing cannabis jellies which included cooking equipment, jelly casts, food dyes and cannabis oils. A large number of cannabis jellies which were pre-packed were seized.
In accordance with Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act of 1996, three men—two in their 30s and one in his 50s—were detained after being arrested on the spot and transferred to Finglas and Blanchardstown Garda Stations.
Gardai also seized suspected cocaine and cannabis during searches of communal areas of this apartment complex, along with a crypto-currency mining rig.
In total, €300,000 of suspected drugs (€100,000 cocaine and €200,000 cannabis) was seized along with €14,000 in cash. All of the drugs seized will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.
The woman in her 30s arrested has since been charged and bailed to appear at Blanchardstown District Court on Friday, December 9, 2022, at 10:30am. The man in his 20s has since been released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The other three males who were taken into custody as part of this operation are still being detained. According to Blanchardstown Garda Station Chief Superintendent Finbarr Murphy, “It is of serious concern that what appears to be a cannabis jelly manufacturing facility has been discovered and is now dismantled.
We have previously seen a number of children hospitalized, seriously ill, as a result of consuming cannabis jelly products.
“The production of these products is an insidious, clear attempt by organized crime groups to normalise these illegal activities. These products designed to look like normal edible jellies are dangerous, not just to children but to any person consuming them.”