A man aged in his 30s is due to appear before a sitting of Blanchardstown District court this morning charged in relation to the seizure of cannabis valued at €6.5 million.
Four people were arrested in connection with the seizure in Dublin and Kildare on Friday, which is one of the biggest discoveries of drugs in the Republic in recent years.
Two men were arrested on Friday while a further two were detained in detained in Ballyfermot and Clondalkin on Saturday. Three men have been released without charge.
Gardaí believe the drugs seized were imported from the Netherlands. Members of the Garda National Drugs Unit had been monitoring those involved in the trafficking operation for some time. As the gang was attempting to import a very significant consignment of cannabis last week, a major surveillance operation was put in place by both the Garda and Revenue’s customs officers.
The haul of drugs was detected at Dublin Port having entered the State disguised as frozen pork products in cargo freight. It was placed under surveillance at the port and followed when it was being transported to commercial premises in Dublin and Kildare.
Once gardaí were satisfied the haul had been split in two and unloaded in both locations, they carried out surprise searches.
At lock-up commercial premises in Ballyfermot, west Dublin, and in other commercial premises at Newbridge, Co Kildare, gardaí found boxes and bags of cannabis resin and herb.
Some 180kg of herbal cannabis was found along with 630kg of cannabis resin. Sources said the haul has a total estimated street value of about €6.5 million.
The target of the raids was a major Irish gang supplying drugs into the State from its base on the Continent.
The gang is also believed to have supplied another significant drugs haul found in Carlow and Kildare last week valued at €2 million. However, while both shipments came from the same Irish gang based abroad, they were delivered to two separate and unrelated criminal groups here.
Garda sources said the discovery of such large hauls in one week is unusual considering seizure patterns over the past number of years.
Drugs gangs have struggled in the recession due to a reduction in demand for drugs from cash-strapped recreational users and have been unable to raise the funds needed for importing large consignments from abroad.