“I wish to commend all agencies involved in both jurisdictions which resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of controlled drugs.”
An operation involving An Garda Síochána, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Revenue Customs Service has led to the seizure of what the authorities believe could be one of Northern Ireland’s largest ever hauls of herbal cannabis.
The cannabis was intercepted and five people arrested by PSNI officers during a search of a property in Dromore, County Down on Friday.
“I wish to commend all agencies involved in both jurisdictions which resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of controlled drugs,” said An Garda Síochána Commissioner Barry O’Brien.
“This demonstrates the practical application of the Cross Border Joint Agency Task Force,” he added.
PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin confirmed the number of arrests following the seizure:
“This huge haul of cannabis was found concealed inside an industrial-sized fuel tank on a shipping pallet at a property in Dromore, County Down. Five individuals; three men and two women, were detained at the address. Officers also carried out a number of follow-up searches and enquiries at other locations.
“The seizure and the associated searches and arrests demonstrate the effectiveness of the real-time intelligence sharing and cross-border collaboration that takes place daily to tackle serious and organised criminality in both jurisdictions.
“With the assistance of our colleagues in An Garda Síochána and Revenue Commissioners, we have undoubtedly prevented the significant harm that would have resulted from this huge consignment of drugs reaching the streets of both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.”
The potential estimated street value of the drugs is currently being assessed and will be made available in due course.
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