Five men and three women have been arrested following the seizure of more than €70,000 worth of drugs and more than €11,000 in cash at locations in counties Limerick, Cork and Clare as part of an operation targeting organised crime.
During the course of the searches more than €11,310 in cash was seized as well as some €53,000 of suspected cocaine, €20,000 of suspected cannabis and €4,650 of suspected alprazolam and controlled medication tablets.
Four suspected firearms and ammunition were also found. All the evidence seized is to be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for further examination, a Garda spokesman said.
During a related search of a field in the Limerick area, the assistance of the Army’s explosive ordnance disposal unit was requested to make safe a suspicious device. A controlled explosion was carried out and the device was deemed to have been a viable explosive.
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Five men were arrested during the course of the operation for offences under provisions of the Criminal Law Act, 1997, and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at garda stations in the Limerick region.
One man has been released from detention and charged with separate road traffic offences. Four men remain in custody at this time. Three women were also arrested for offences contrary to the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. They appeared before Limerick District Court on Tuesday.
