GARDAÍ INVESTIGATING the activities of international drugs cartels cultivating cannabis crops have raided two premises and seized almost 1,000 cannabis plants with a combined value of €450,000.
Two men, both Vietnamese nationals, were arrested at the houses in Templeogue, south Dublin, and Celbridge, Co Kildare. Gardaí believe both houses are linked to the same gang.
A team of gardaí led by the Garda National Drugs Unit raided the properties at 8am yesterday.
In the detached property on Orwell Park, Templeogue, they found a cannabis cultivation operation and a crop of 600 plants.
A 51-year-old man was arrested at the house. Gardaí believe he had been employed by the gang behind the operation to tend to the crop.
At another detached house on Templehill Road in Celbridge an almost identical growing operation was found with a crop of 350 plants. A 23-year-old man was arrested at the house and gardaí believe he was tending that crop.
The searches were carried out under the drug unit’s Operation Nitrogen, which was established to investigate the growing trend of cannabis cultivation in the State.
At both houses raided yesterday gardaí found high wattage lights had been suspended from the ceilings over rows of plants. Black-out material had been placed over the windows and reflective tinfoil-style lining covered the walls of the rooms. Both crops were being watered by an irrigation system that carried water mixed with chemical growing agents.
The two men arrested were detained under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act and were being held at Terenure and Celbridge garda stations last night.