Man in 40s charged after €1.6m cannabis seizure in cross-border Louth operation

A man in his 40s faces Cavan District Court after 119kg of cannabis worth €1.666m was seized in Co Louth. A second man was arrested in Northern Ireland.

Man charged after €1.6m cannabis haul intercepted in Co Louth

Google News IE — Crime (en) reports that a man in his 40s appeared before Cavan District Court on Friday, 28 August, following the seizure of cannabis, cocaine, imitation firearms and cash during a joint cross-border operation.

The accused was arrested after an intelligence-led operation on Wednesday, 26 August, involving An Garda Síochána, the Revenue Customs Service and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). Officers intercepted a vehicle in the Dundalk area of Co Louth and seized 119kg of cannabis with an estimated street value of €1.666 million. The man was subsequently charged and was listed to appear at 2pm.

Separate follow-up searches conducted by the PSNI Organised Crime Unit in the Newtownabbey area of Northern Ireland uncovered a further estimated 45kg of cannabis, approximately 500g of cocaine — which remains subject to laboratory analysis — 22 imitation firearms and around £25,000 in cash.

A second man, aged in his 30s, was arrested in Northern Ireland and remains in PSNI custody.

The operation was a combined effort involving the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Garda Organised Crime Unit, the Revenue Customs Service and the PSNI Organised Crime Unit.

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána confirmed that investigations into the cross-border operation are "ongoing".

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)