Gardaí seize cocaine worth at least €32m

Gardaí have seized the biggest quantity of cocaine ever found on land in the State, with the discovery of 400kg of the drug.

Gardaí have seized the biggest quantity of cocaine ever found on land in the State, with the discovery of 400kg of the drug.

The seizure is valued at €32 million based on an assumed street value of €80,000 per kilo.

However, if the haul is found to be high in purity, the potential street valued could be well in excess of €100 million.

Some of the drugs were seized  in Tallaght , where a vehicle was also seized.

Gardaí and Revenue's Customs officers then carried out further searches in west Dublin and Kildare where in excess of 300kg of the drug was found.

Two men have been arrested – one aged 42 and one aged 31. They are being held at Clondalkin Garda station in west Dublin.

The seizure is the biggest ever cocaine haul found in the Republic, save for two consignments found in the waters off the coast of Cork in recent years that were not destined for the Irish market.

Conor Lally

Conor Lally

Conor Lally is Security and Crime Editor of The Irish Times