Gardaí seize €2 million worth of illegal tablets in series of Dublin searches

Two men, aged in their 50s and 30s, have been arrested in connection with the seizures, which are believed to have disrupted a major drugs supply line in the capital

Gardaí have seized almost €2 million worth of illegal sleeping tablets and tranquilisers as part of a major operation targeting the main supply line of illegal medications in Dublin.

Two men, aged in their 50s and 30s, have been arrested in connection with the seizure. They are being held at separate Garda stations in the capital under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

The man in his 30s has been charged and is due to appear in court later this evening.

Approximately €1.976 million worth of illegal tablets were seized yesterday following a number of planned searches by the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT) as part of Operation Citizen.

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Initially, a car was stopped and searched in South Dublin, resulting in the seizure of more than 10,000 Zopiclone and Alprazolam tablets valued at €20,000. Zopiclone is a potent sleeping pill, while Alprazolam is a tranquiliser better known as Xanax.

A number of other searches were then conducted throughout the Dublin region.

Around 965,000 Zopiclone and Alprazolam tablets were discovered at a business premises in the city centre, which were valued at around €1.93 million. Another search recovered 13,000 of the same tablets worth over €26,000.

Two further searches in west and south Dublin resulted in the seizure of a quantity of cash and other evidence relating to the trafficking of drugs across the region.

The operation has disrupted a major supply line of drugs into the city centre, according to Chief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin.

“This significant seizure of illicit drugs by the Dublin Crime Response Team was made as part of ongoing investigations to tackle street level sale and supply of drugs in Dublin City centre, and was made as part of Operation Citizen,” he said.

“This investigation has disrupted a major supply line of drugs into the city centre, and demonstrates An Garda Síochána’s commitment to keeping people safe and disrupting the criminal activities of those who cause harm and inflict misery in our communities.”

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