Two men arrested after €775,000 worth of cannabis and two guns seized in North Co Dublin

Ellen O'Donoghue

Gardaí arrested two men and seized €775,000 worth of cannabis and two assault rifles in North Co Dublin on Wednesday.

The operation was carried out by the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT), who searched a private residence in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North.

The search resulted in the recovery of 38.6kg of cannabis herb, valued at around €772,000, subject to analysis, and two assault rifles. 135 rounds of ammunition were also recovered and seized.

A man in his 50s was arrested at the scene and is currently detained at a garda station in the DMR under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

A follow-up search of a second premises in the DMR North resulted in the arrest of a second male and the seizure of a further €5,000 cannabis herb and a single round of ammunition.

The male in his 30s is also currently detained at a Garda station in the DMR under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

The seized drugs are subject to analysis by Forensic Science Ireland, a garda statement said.

Assistant Commisioner for the DMR, Paul Cleary, said that the operation was a "major success" for the DCRT and for public safety in Dublin.

"The sight of such assault rifles may cause concern but I want to reassure the public that this is not a routine occurrence and thanks to the vigilance of our Gardaí, these firearms were recovered from organised criminals," he said.

"However, the presence of military-style assault rifles connected with a cannabis seizure is a reminder of the connection between the sale and supply of cannabis and potential organised crime groups.

"Let me be clear, we will maintain unrelenting pressure on the mid-level organised crime gangs who peddle drugs and violence in Dublin communities and I am committed to dismantling their networks and keeping the public safe."

The seizure was part of an operation targeting an organised crime group involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs.