Gardaí in Co Cork have arrested three men for questioning after uncovering a cannabis grow-house with plants worth a potential €250,000 which they believe was run by a Chinese Triad gang.
Detectives in Fermoy raided an old Victorian house on the Rathhealy Road. One room was filled with 300 cannabis plants and a second was ready for use, complete with lighting, heating and hydroponic system.
Gardaí arrested three foreign nationals: a Serbian-born man (55) with New Zealand citizenship, a Malaysian man (38) and a Hong Kong-born man (51) with British citizenship.
They are being held under section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to seven days before they have to be charged or released without charge.
The British passport holder is being held in Cobh Garda station, the Malaysian national is being held at Mallow Garda station and the New Zealand passport holder is being held at Fermoy Garda station.
Gardaí believe the grow-house was in operation for about a month and a number of plants have been sent to the Forensic Science Ireland Laboratory in Dublin for analysis.
