TWO MEN HAVE been arrested and almost half a million euro worth of drugs seized after gardaí from a newly-established gangland crime unit staged an operation in the Blanchardstown area of west Dublin last night.
Several vehicles were intercepted at around 9pm by armed officers from the Special Crime Task Force, along with gardaí from the drugs and organised crime bureau.
Around four kilos of suspected cocaine was seized.
Further follow-up searches in the Cabra and Clondalkin areas turned up a further two kilos of the drug.
The men arrested, aged 34 and 36, are being questioned at Blanchardstown Garda Station under the provisions of the Drug Trafficking Act.
The drugs will now be analysed – but it’s estimated they would be worth around €420,000 on the streets.
“These operations use advanced analytical and intelligence methods to disrupt criminals and dismantle their networks,” gardaí said in a statement.
Drug seizures play a critical role in targeting the livelihood of criminals and reducing their ability to carry out illegal activities. Drug seizures also help protect communities from the devastating impact of drugs and the associated criminality.
The Special Crime Task Force was established in May, as part of a range of measures launched by Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in the wake of a series of gangland killings in the north Dublin area.
Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan said at the time that the task force would adopt an “intelligence-led, focused and targeted approach” in respect of groups involved in organised crime.
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