A total of 13 men were arrested following an early morning Garda operation targeting drug trafficking.
The men - ranging in ages from 17 to 61 - are being questioned at a number of Garda stations across the country.
A 23-year-old man was later charged and brought before the courts. He was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear before Cloverhill court on Friday. A 17-year-old was charged and released. He is due before the Children's Court on December 16th.
The Criminal Assets Bureau, Emergency Response Unit, Organised Crime Unit, Air Support Unit, Dog Unit and Public Order unit, supported by local gardaí in Cork, Wexford, Kildare and Cavan were involved in the operation, which was co-ordinated from Store Street Garda station.
Most of the suspects are being held under anti-gang laws brought in last year. They are being held on suspicion of participation and contribution to activities intended to enhance the ability of a criminal organisation.
The raids targeted a major gang operating out of Sheriff Street and Oriel Street in Dublin.
Chief Superintendent Pat Leahy said the Garda operation - which has been ongoing for 12 months - targeted "organised criminality" and drug trafficking in Dublin's north inner city.
“We are focusing on organised crime in the Dublin inner city but unfortunately it’s not confined to that area and the people that are engaged in that kind of criminality have links all across the country and that’s why we find ourselves in counties Wexford and Cavan and so on,” he said.
He said "significant amounts" of material were seized during the operations this morning, but said he could not provide further details on what exactly was seized.
Chief Supt Leahy said there was "ongoing engagement" between An Garda Síochána and the local community in relation to the matter, but that today's arrests had not resulted from complaints to gardaí.
He said the focus of the operation was "to reduce or take out the impact" of organised crime. "It is our intention to stamp it out in as much as we can do that," he said.
Up to 300 gardaí took part in searches at 33 locations which began at about 4am.
The arrested men included two aged 41 and 23 held in the Bridewell; a 20-year-old held in Whitehall, a 19-year-old and a 20-year-old held in Togher, Co Cork; a 40-year-old man held in Mountjoy, a 48-year-old in Enniscorthy; a 42-year-old held in Gorey and a 21-year-old held in Pearse Street. All were detained under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act.
The raids targeted those suspected of moving the drugs hauls around the country to dealers. The crime gang is involved in heroin, cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy trafficking.