Four held after drugs worth €2m are seized

Gardaí in Meath and Dublin arrested four men over the weekend in connection with three separate seizures of heroin, cocaine and cannabis valued at almost €2 million.

In the most significant of the three operations, cocaine, heroin and cannabis valued at €1.4 million was discovered when gardaí stopped a car and van just before 1pm on Saturday just outside Trim, Co Meath.

The two men, who are in their 20s and 30s, were seen acting suspiciously in the car park of a pub. When gardaí from Kells and the Garda National Drugs Unit moved in to investigate they found the drugs in the vehicles.

Gardaí believe the men, who are from Dublin, were in the process of moving the drugs from a nearby location where it is believed the haul was being stored.

The men were taken to Kells Garda station where they were still being detained last night under section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

The seizure followed the discovery of nine guns and a cocaine processing plant over the weekend just outside Athboy, Co Meath.

Both operations were conducted in large part by local officers under Supt Gerry Cadden from Kells Garda station. The two men being held are known to gardaí.

In a separate operation, a 22- year-old Dubliner was arrested on Saturday morning after 2.5kg of heroin was found during a planned search. The drugs, which are valued at about €480,000, were found in a house at Shancastle Crescent, Clondalkin.

The man appeared before Dublin District Court on Saturday in connection with the find. The operation involved members of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Garda dog unit.

In a third operation on Saturday, gardaí in Ballyfermot, Dublin, seized cocaine with an estimated street value of €20,000.

The discovery was made by two gardaí on a mobile patrol at First Avenue, Ballyfermot, at about 3.45am.

The gardaí observed a man acting suspiciously. When they approached him, he ran from the scene and was pursued.

He threw a bag he was carrying on to the ground. It was recovered by gardaí and was later found to contain cocaine. The 25-year-old man, who is from Ballyfermot, was arrested close to the scene and was taken to Ballyfermot Garda station.

He was questioned under section 2 of Drug Trafficking Act. He had been released on the drugs charge last night and a file relating to it was being prepared for the DPP.

However, he remained in Garda custody last night because he was wanted in relation to an earlier warrant that had been issued for his arrest.