Men to appear in court in connection with Kildare drug and firearms seizures
A selection of the illegal firearms seized in Garda raids over the weekend
Two men are to appear at a sitting of Athy District Court today in connection with the investigation into organised criminal activity.
As a result of ongoing investigations targeting organised criminal activity under Operation Tara, an operation was put place targeting a number of individuals and locations in the Laois and Kildare areas over the weekend of July 10-12.
The operation involved personnel attached to the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), supported by personnel from the Garda Eastern Region, the Dublin Crime Response Team and the Emergency Response Unit.
Searches were conducted at six locations in the Laois and Kildare areas which resulted in the seizure of 11 military grade firearms - three machine guns and eight pistols - ammunition and silencers as well as heroin, cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of more than €700,000.
Gardaí discovered the first gun in a lock up in Newbridge on Friday night.
In follow up searches the following day in Athy and in Co Laois, another 10 weapons were recovered including a machine gun, two Scorpion machine pistols and seven handguns including Glock, Colt and Walther pistols.
Two men (both aged in their 40s) were arrested and are detained at stations in the Midlands under Section 50 of Criminal Justice 2007.
The firearms will be forwarded for technical examination by the Ballistics Section of the Garda Technical Bureau.
The seized drugs will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis, and investigations are ongoing.
"This seizure represents a significant disruption of organised criminal activity and demonstrates An Garda Síochána's commitment to protecting communities from those involved in serious and organised crime,” said Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis, from the Organised and Serious Crime division.
"The recovery of military-grade firearms, handguns and substantial quantities of illicit drugs has removed highly dangerous weapons and harmful substances from circulation, reducing the threat posed to the public and preventing significant criminal profits from being generated.
"This operation highlights the effectiveness of intelligence-led policing and the strong collaboration between An Garda Síochána and our national and international law enforcement partners.
"The targeting of firearms trafficking and drug trafficking remains a key priority under the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).
