Gardaí arrested one person and seized over €15,000 worth of drugs after officers observed a vehicle acting suspiciously.
Yesterday, Gardaí in Ennis were on patrol when they detected a car acting in a suspicious manner. Gardaí stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver.
As part of a follow up investigation, searches were carried out under warrant in the Ennis area and an estimated €15,500 of suspected cocaine and cannabis was seized. The drugs have been sent for forensic analysis.
Gardaí have confirmed that a quantity of cash and designer goods were also seized during the searches.
The arrested individual, a male in his 20s, was subsequently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda Station in County Clare. He has since been released without charge, and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
This seizures form part of Operation Tara an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, which was launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on July 2, 2021. The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels – international, national, local – involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.
Gardaí say: ‘We remain committed to continuing our efforts to target those causing the most harm to Clare communities and also right across the country.”
Meanwhile, another motorist was arrested for road traffic offences including driving without insurance. The driver was also arrested after failing a roadside drugs test.
The detection was made by Gardaí on patrol using ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) technology.
The vehicle-mounted cameras allow Gardaí to read the registrations of vehicles as they drive past, at a rate of six per second, and check whether they are stolen, uninsured, untaxed, missing NCT or CRW or if the vehicle is sought by Gardaí.
The vehicle passed a Garda Roads Policing unit in Ennis yesterday and was detected as being uninsured. A check of the insurance database confirmed that the policy on the window had been cancelled by the insurance company.
The vehicle was seized, the driver arrested and they will appear in court at a later date.
