BREAKING: Gardaí seize major cocaine haul in Kildare

James Donegan was arrested by detectives from the Garda Extradition Unit at Dublin Airport

placeholder image — James Donegan was arrested by detectives from the Garda Extradition Unit at Dublin Airport

Vehicle and home searched in Allenwood

Gardaí have seized €5 million of cocaine following a search operation Co Kildare, yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon, Gardaí attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped and searched a vehicle and a residential premises in the Allenwood area of Kildare.

During the course of these searches approximately 72 kilos of cocaine (pictured above) valued at an estimated €5 million was recovered.

Two men, aged in in their 50s and 60s, were arrested pursuant to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 in relation to facilitating and enhancing drug distribution activities for an organised crime group and are currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of Section 50 of Criminal Justice Act 2007, at a Kildare Garda Station.

Following the operation, Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis of Organised and Serious Crime said:

"This is another significant seizure of cocaine destined for the Irish market. An Garda Síochána and our law enforcement partners are committed to targeting those engaged in drug related organised crime that leads to harm, intimidation and violence in our communities nationwide.”

Investigations are ongoing.

This seizure forms part of Operation Tara; an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on 2nd July 2021. The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.