An airplane and drugs were seized in a massive garda operation spanning four counties.
Two men were arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking as part of the ongoing probe targeting drug-related organised crime activity under Operation Tara. Officers intercepted two vehicles, shortly after 6pm, at two locations in the Lough Owel area of Co Westmeath on Thursday.
They recovered a whopping 120kgs of cocaine worth €8.4 million along with several communications devices. Follow-up searches were conducted at residential premises in Naas, Co Kildare and Waterford City, and at a commercial airfield in Co Longford where a light aircraft has been seized.
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The two men, aged 54 and 40 years, are currently detained, pursuant to the provisions of section 2 of Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at Ashbourne Garda Station.
Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly, the Head of Organised and Serious Crime said: "This operation has prevented a considerable quantity of dangerous drugs from making it onto our streets and causing significant harm to our communities. An Garda Síochána is committed, under Operation Tara, to disrupting and dismantling the organised criminal networks who profit from drug trafficking and impact so negatively on our society."
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