Fifty searches amid major garda drug crackdown

BUST €20k cocaine tabs, amphetamines lifted in raid

Young people and vulnerable addicts in rural towns and villages are being recruited and “exploited” by city-based crime gangs seeking to traffick drugs locally.

Many are being coerced into so-called ‘county lines drug dealing’ through threats to themselves or family members. Others are trapped by drug debt or addiction.

‘County lines’ is a term first coined by drug gangs in the UK, where they trafficked drugs into rural areas there, away from major cities, and to be sold by children.

However, the drug dealing network in Cavan and Monaghan is being gradually picked apart by gardaí. In the past week alone, over 50 searches were carried out across the counties, leading to five successful seizures.

In one search under warrant, gardaí raided a residential premises in Ballyjamesduff last Sunday (July 5). There they discovered approximately €20,000 worth of drugs and arrested a man in his 40s. Approximately €5,000 of suspected cocaine, €7,600 of suspected ecstasy tablets, €7,500 of suspected amphetamine and a small quantity of suspected cannabis herb and Zopiclone tablets were seized. All drugs have been sent for analysis.

A sum of cash and drug paraphernalia were also seized.

The man, who was arrested and taken to Ballyjamesduff Garda Station, was later charged and appeared before Monaghan District Court on Monday, July 6.

The other seizures, albeit on a much smaller scale, were none the less significant.

They included suspected ecstasy tablets (€500) seized after a car was stopped in Clones; cannabis and cocaine (€500) and drug paraphernalia at a house in Ballyhaise; cannabis herb (€1,200) and equipment used for processing drugs, as well as cash believed to be the proceeds of crime, at a house in Virginia; and tablets and cannabis (€1,000) in Arva.

It follows other major detections over the past month, when a cannabis growhouse (€18,400) was found Belturbet (June 11); cannabis (€12,000) and cocaine (€400) at a house in Belturbet (June 13); and cannabis plants (€21,000) in Ballyconnnell, also June 13.

Rise

The region’s top cop, chief superintendent for Cavan-Monaghan, John O’Reilly praised the co-ordinated effort by various Garda units, including those attached to the newly established dedicated district drugs units.

“There has been a rise in searches, a rise in the number of detections. I believe now we’re starting to see the fruits of these efforts. It’s gardaí doing on the ground work and following up from that.”

Chief Supt O’Reilly confirmed that gardaí are aware of criminal drug gangs “using remote rural locations” to involve themselves drug dealing locally, as well as launder the “proceeds of their crimes” in a veiled attempt to remain under the radar outside of the cities.

“There would be a very small number of locals involved in the sale and supply of drugs, but [these gangs] are using these individuals to access local markets for want of a better word. Obviously that’s the focus of what we’re trying to tackle at local level, and then work with our counterparts nationally to identify these networks and use the information to get at those sitting higher up the ladder.”

He advises there is much work done “behind the scenes” such as assisting the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) in going after the wealth of those involved in the illegal drugs trade.

Another process involves tracking the movement of those suspected to be involved in the drugs trade.

Gardaí in Cavan recently assisted colleagues in Louth in tracking the movements of a vehicle, which travelled first to Dublin and then northbound with tens of thousands of euros worth of drugs.

“We had a significant seizure in Co Louth, from a person living in Co Cavan, and that was managed by gardaí here in this county, where the individual travelled to Dublin and sourced the drugs, and subsequently stopped on their way back down.”

‘Exploited’

However, he notes that people who are drug dependant are being “exploited” and was fulsome in his support of the efforts of Cavan Drug and Alcohol Services (CDA) and other groups in supporting drug users and their families.

“The downside of it all is that there are families affected too. Victims by association in the sense that drug debts are being called in and these are not friendly people you’re dealing with. There is a huge amount of intimidation and fear around that and a lot of our work would be discreet to try and support families to get them out of the trap they’re in. It is a challenging role. Very challenging.”

In that regard, he says: “We would be very reliant on the likes of CDA. There is an extremely positive working relationship there with them. There was a question there during the year regarding funding for that organisation. If that were to happen, that’s a significant loss to the statutory bodies in these counties, where genuine support is provided to people and families caught up in the drugs trade.”