GARDAÍ AND THE PSNI carried out a number of operations in the border region last week, which saw over €70,000 worth of drugs, seven vehicles and over 1,000 litres of smuggled kerosene seized.

The cross-border operation was carried out under the Joint Agency Task Force, with Gardaí saying that there was “close cooperation” between the Gardaí and the PSNI.

In Sligo and Leitrim, searches that were targeting organised crime were carried out and saw suspected heroin worth €61,000 seized in Sligo, while cocaine and cannabis worth €7,700 was seized at a location in Sligo Town.

 Six vehicles were seized by Gardaí for road traffic offences in Cavan and Monaghan, with fixed charges being issued for driving licence and insurance-related offences.

Both custom officials and Gardaí seized over 1,000 litres of smuggled kerosene in Cavan, Louth and Monaghan, with a total of seven detections across the three counties. A car was also seized for tax reasons, according to Gardaí.

In Louth, the Dundalk Garda dog unit carried out an operation which saw a man arrested for drug offences with €3,710 in cash and €1,600 worth of combined drugs.

In Donegal, a quantity of cocaine and cannabis was seized in Buncrana, while in Letterkenny there is a focus on tackling with street drug dealing.

Co-ordinated inspections of licenced scrap yards, car dismantlers and waste management facilities were also carried out, with Gardaí working with officials from Cavan and Monaghan County Councils.

“An Garda Síochána is acutely aware that rural crime has the potential to cause serious harm to local communities if left unchecked,”  Detective Superintendent John O’Flaherty said.

“Together with our colleagues in the PSNI we are committed to taking a joint approach to protect and reassure communities on both sides of the border.