Man arrested for questioning after €300,000 drugs seizure in Cork

Gardaí have arrested a 32-year-old man for questioning following the seizure of €300,000 worth of drugs during a search of a house in Cork city on Thursday night.

Officers from the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad stopped and searched the man as he was cycling on Grattan Street in the city centre and found €6,000 worth of suspected cannabis herb.

The man, who is originally from Douglas, was arrested and gardaí carried out a follow-up search of the man’s rented flat on Winter’s Hill in Sunday’s Well on the city’s north side.

There they found 15kg of suspected cannabis herb with a street value of €300,000. The drugs have been sent for analysis at Forensic Science Ireland.

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Gardaí have detained the man under the drugs trafficking legislation, which allows suspects to be held for up to seven days.

The man is being questioned at the Bridewell Garda station.

Separately, gardaí in Tipperary have confirmed that as part of an ongoing investigation into the sale and supply of drugs in the county, officers carried out a search of a house in Clonmel on New Year’s Eve and seized a quantity of jellies containing cannabis as well as cash and vape oil.

According to the Garda Press Office, the jellies are believed to contain synthetic cannabinoids, and the products seized have been submitted to Forensic Science Ireland for further analysis. Gardaí have not given a figure for the suspected value of the seized sweets.

“An Garda Síochána is advising the public to seek medical attention if you or anyone you know has consumed these products and becomes unwell. Help should be sought immediately by calling 999 or 112,” the Garda said in a statement.

Gardaí say an investigation into the sale and supply of the jellies is ongoing and they are appealing to anyone with information relating to this seizure to contact Clonmel Garda station on 052 617 7640, the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111 or any other Garda station.

Meanwhile the HSE has issued a warning about the public health risks associated with synthetic cannabis appearing in jellies and sweets sold as cannabis edibles after a number of people had to be hospitalised after consuming the jellies.

“A small number of people – fewer than five - were hospitalised for a short period after taking edible products in the form of Jolly Rancher jellies during December 2022. The HSE is working closely with Forensic Science Ireland and An Garda Siochána to investigate these incidents,” it said.

The HSE explained that synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals produced to mimic the effects of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis and while they do not contain cannabis, they are intended to produce similar, more potent effects.

“They will greatly increase the risks of a drug emergency occurring because they produce more intense adverse effects. Their use has caused many serious poisonings, mass poisonings and deaths internationally in recent years,” warned the HSE.

Warning symptoms of synthetic cannabinoid exposure include feeling dizzy, confusion, abnormal sweating, respiratory issues , chest pain/rapid heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, agitation, aggression, psychotic behaviour, hallucinations, delusions, seizures or fits, added the HSE.