Nationwide raids net €2m in cannabis-laced sweets and vape products

Officers detained two suspects after searching vape retailers and homes in four counties, recovering jellies, vapes and cigarettes laced with psychoactive compounds.

Nationwide raids net €2m in cannabis-laced sweets and vape products

Police in Ireland have detained two suspects after uncovering narcotics worth more than two million euros concealed inside everyday consumer items sold through vaping outlets.

The coordinated searches hit five commercial premises and two private homes spread across Castlebar in Mayo, Drogheda in Louth, Longford and Carlow. The sweeps were carried out on two separate dates, 2 July and 8 July, as reported by RTE.ie.

Among the items taken were edible sweets containing cannabis, vaping liquids mixed with cannabis oil, and cigarettes marketed as 'reefers' that held HHC and THC — both mind-altering chemicals derived from the plant.

The two detainees are both in their thirties. One was picked up in Mayo, the other in Longford. They were held under the provisions of Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at stations in the midlands.

Since the arrests, one of the pair has been freed pending further action. Investigators will compile evidence for the Director of Public Prosecutions to review.

Laboratory technicians at Forensic Science Ireland will examine the recovered goods to confirm their exact composition.

The crackdown was carried out under Operation Tara, drawing staff from the national drugs squad, revenue customs officers, and local detective units covering Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Kildare and Drogheda.

Source: RTÉ News