Gardai were last night quizzing a suspected member of the Albanian mob after cocaine with a street value of around €1.12 million was seized from a car in Co Louth.
The drugs, which sources said belonged to a west Dublin gang with links to Drogheda, were discovered near Drogheda by officers attached to the Divisional Drugs Unit based at the local garda station.
The man in his late 30s was arrested at the scene and was yesterday being questioned at Drogheda garda station. He is detained under the Drug Trafficking Act and can be held for up to seven days.
READ MORE: Massive drugs bust sees Gardai seize €1 million worth of cocaine in Drogheda
Sources said he is originally from Albania, but has been living in Dublin for a number of years.
The man has a social media account under a pseudonym, which he uses to engage in Islamophobic rants.
Gardai said that they stopped the vehicle under Operation Tara shortly after 1pm on Saturday in the Tullyallen area, around four kilometres outside Drogheda.
The man in his late 30s was arrested at the scene and taken to Drogheda garda station.
The force said the seized drugs will be sent forward for analysis and the investigation is ongoing.
Labour TD for Louth and East Meath Labour TD Ged Nash said this is a major blow to drugs gangs in the area. He said: “This is a very significant haul and great credit is owed to the Gardai for their work on this.
“This is one of the most substantial hauls in the region for some time.
“The additional Garda resources that were hard won for the area are reaping rewards and there should be no hiding place for suppliers and those involved in their networks.”
The west Dublin gang who owned the cocaine are not thought to be connected to either of the two rival Drogheda crime groups which have been involved in a bloody feud in recent years which has claimed several lives.
Although the leaders of one of the Drogheda gangs have left the town and are now in hiding, gardai believe their henchmen are still heavily involved in drug trafficking.
In recent months some members of the gang have been calling to families claiming they are owed cash for drug debts.
Operation Tara is an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July 2021.
The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels - international, national, local - involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.
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