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More than €1.5 million worth of drugs were seized and eight people were arrested by gardaí in three separate operations in Munster on Friday and Saturday.
Some €1,545,302 worth of drugs and a large sum of cash were seized as a result of search operations carried out across the province.
At approximately 2:15pm on Friday, gardaí stopped a vehicle on the Corbally Road in Co Clare.
During a search of the vehicle, gardaí found €10,000 worth of suspected cocaine. The drugs were seized and will be sent for analysis.
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The occupants of the vehicle, three men aged in their 20s and 40s, were arrested at the scene and taken to Henry Street Garda station. They were detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
Two of the men were released from custody and files will be sent to the DPP.
A man in his 40s was charged and is due to appear before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Saturday at 7pm.
A number of follow-up searches were also conducted in Limerick on Friday evening.
During these searches, approximately €406,000 of cocaine, €140,000 of heroin, €45,000 of amphetamine, €42,852 of diazepam tablets and a large sum of cash was seized by gardaí. The exact values of the seized items are to be confirmed after an examination is conducted.
A further two people were arrested on Friday evening. A man, aged in his 50s, and a woman, aged in her 30s, were also detained in Henry Street Garda station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
In a follow up search on Saturday, cocaine with an estimated street value of €779,450 was seized.
Cork operations
In a separate operation, €60,000 of cannabis was recovered by gardaí in Cork city on Friday.
Gardaí attached to Cork Divisional Drugs Unit and Mayfield Drugs Unit stopped and searched a car at John Horgan Quay around 4pm.
Three kilograms of suspected cannabis with an approximate street value of €60,000 was recovered.
The driver of the vehicle, a woman aged in her late 30s, was arrested and brought to Mayfield Garda station, where she is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
In another separate operation on Friday, €62,000 of diamorphine was also seized by gardaí in Cork city.
Gardaí attached to Cork Divisional Drugs Unit stopped and searched two men at Kent railway station at approximately 7:40pm.
During this search, 0.45 kilograms of diamorphine was recovered.
Both men, aged in their 20s and 50s, were arrested and brought to Gurranbraher Garda station, where they are currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
Investigations are ongoing in all three operations.