Man arrested as heroin, crack cocaine and weapons seized in Cork operation
A major garda operation in Mahon today was part of the same investigation that led to the seizure of €210,000 worth of heroin in Blackrock on Cork city's southside yesterday.
Heroin, crack cocaine, weapons and €6,000 in cash were seized and a man in his 20s was arrested during a high-impact garda operation in Mahon, Cork city, today.
Six properties were searched as part of the operation, which involved 55 gardaí and a range of units including the Armed Support Unit (ASU), Dog Unit, Divisional Search Unit, Serious Crime Investigation Units, Community Engagement, Roads Policing and Scenes of Crime Units.
Gardaí also worked alongside Revenue, the Department of Social Protection and the National Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NSPCA) during the multi-agency operation.
Gardaí seized €1,000 worth of suspected heroin and €600 worth of suspected crack cocaine, as well as electric scramblers, e-scooters and a range of weapons.
The weapons seized included slash hooks, hammers, baseball bats, machetes, swords and slingshots. Two caravans were also seized.
The NSPCA seized 10 dogs, one pony and one horse during the operation.
All of the animals will be examined by a veterinarian.
The man arrested, who is aged in his 20s, is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a garda station in the Southern Region.
The Mahon operation comes a day after approximately 1.5kg of suspected heroin, with an estimated street value of €210,000, was seized from a house in Blackrock on Tuesday morning.
The heroin was destined for the Cork market, gardaí believe.
A woman aged in her 40s, who is known to gardaí, was arrested.
A man in his 60s, who is also known to gardaí, was stopped in a vehicle nearby and was also arrested.
The operation was led by the Cork City Divisional Drug Unit and assisted by the Southern Regional Drugs Unit and the ASU in Cork city.
A search of a premises was subsequently conducted under warrant. During the search, approximately €13,000 in cash was recovered, along with a further €1,950 in cash. Drug paraphernalia was also seized.
The suspected heroin will be examined by Forensic Science Ireland.
The man and woman arrested remain detained at garda stations in Cork city under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.
The two operations form part of a wider garda investigation into criminal activity and the supply of drugs in Cork city.
Gardaí are working to tackle suppliers of heroin and other drugs, rather than youths and other vulnerable people who are coerced into holding and distributing drugs for larger drug suppliers.
While heroin use among younger age cohorts has been falling in Cork in recent years, crack cocaine use has been increasing, raising concerns about the drug and its impact on the city.
Investigations into both operations are ongoing.
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