Gardaí charge eight in cross-country sweep against suspected OCG

Three women and five men face court after Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau operation spanning multiple counties.

Gardaí charge eight in cross-country sweep against suspected OCG

A total of eight individuals — three women and five men — have been taken into custody and formally charged following a coordinated enforcement action targeting a criminal outfit with connections outside Ireland.

The detentions were carried out by detectives from the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB). The inquiry has been active since late 2024 and is focused on breaking up the network's operations within the jurisdiction.

On Tuesday evening, officers picked up three female suspects aged in their 30s and 40s, along with one male suspect in his 30s, at addresses in Cork, Laois and Carlow. These four were charged overnight and brought before judges at Carlow, Tullamore and Fermoy district courts early Wednesday.

Separately, four additional men — three aged in their 40s and one in his 30s — were apprehended on Wednesday morning. They are expected to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin, as well as at Thurles and Carlow district courts, facing accusations tied to the same file.

The criminal structure under scrutiny maintains links to foreign-based syndicates, according to a Garda statement cited by TheJournal.ie. Previous arrests connected to this case were executed between February and April of this year.

The operation falls under Operation Tara, the national framework used by An Garda Síochána to pool resources for drug seizures and searches across the country.

Source: TheJournal.ie