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Crackdown on drugs to continue throughout West Cork division

January 21st, 2020 5:10 PM

By Jackie Keogh

Supt Declan O'Sullivan said a file will go to the DPP. (Photo: Tom Newman)

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A 12-HOUR search operation saw 10 members of the gardaí seize €300,000 worth of cannabis in nine separate raids in West Cork.

Bantry-based Supt Declan O’Sullivan confirmed that officers from the West Cork Divisional Drugs Unit, the local garda station, and the southern region dog unit, began their cannabis crackdown in Castletownbere at 10am on Friday January 10th.

Nine warrants under the Misuse of Drugs Act were executed and further searches were carried out on the same day in Glengarriff and Kealkil. Locations in Bantry town and district were also searched, with the last search commencing at around 9pm that night.

Supt O’Sullivan confirmed that the gardaí seized 15 kilos of cannabis, which is likely to be worth €300,000, given that one kilo of cannabis has a street value of €20,000.

He qualified his remarks, saying: ‘All of the exhibits have to be sent to the State forensic lab for analysis and only then can the substance, and the exact weight, be confirmed.’

He said these seizures followed ‘a number of searches, prior to Christmas, where drugs were located – but not on this scale.’

On that occasion – Tuesday, December 10th – a growhouse was discovered in Durrus and €6,800 worth of cannabis herb and €5,600 worth of cannabis plants were seized.

In a second search, gardaí seized €4,900 of cannabis, as well as €17,200 in cash, at a house in the Ballylickey area of Bantry.

Supt O’Sullivan said the crackdown ‘is part of Bantry district gardaí’s commitment to enforcing the Misuse of Drugs Act in this area and to bringing people, who are in breach of the Act, before the courts.’

No arrests were made last Friday, but Supt O’Sullivan told The Southern Star: ‘This is an ongoing investigation in the Bantry district that will continue for the foreseeable future.’

He also expressed his gratitude ‘for the assistance I am receiving from the public on an ongoing basis.’ And he confirmed that a file will be sent to the DPP.

 

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