€200M BLOW TO THE EVIL DRUGS GANGS

€600m worth of narcotics got through despite Gardai & Customs' efforts

- BY MICHAEL O'TOOLE Crime Journalist of the Year

GARDAI and Customs officials have seized illegal drugs worth more than €200million in the last 12 months, it has emerged.

This newspaper's analysis of all disclosed drug seizures by the two organisations shows that, up to last night, they had taken drugs worth a cool €2,055,377 off the streets in 2025.

Gardai and customs published around 190 seizures including 42 valued at €1million or more. There were also five seizures valued at more than €10million.

The biggest seizure of the year came in October when gardai and Customs Revenue officers intercepted alleged cocaine at Rosslare Europort worth €14.2million. A Lithuanian national has been charged.

A few days earlier, in a separate incident, gardai and Customs officers seized €10.5million of alleged cocaine at the same site.

A Bulgarian national has been charged over that haul.

In February, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau seized €10.6million of alleged cocaine in an operation in Co Kilkenny.

A local man has been charged over this case.

In March, the Garda Dublin Crime Response Team seized alleged cocaine and cannabis worth just over €14million in Mountmellick, Co Laois. Two men have been charged over this seizure.