Gardaí have seized illegal vapes and cannabis-based products with an estimated street value of more than €3 million in a series of searches across five counties.
The operation, carried out on Wednesday, the 14th of October, targeted an organised crime group believed to be involved in the sale and supply of illegal vapes and cannabis products throughout the country.
Officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) searched properties in Longford, Mayo, Roscommon, Wexford and Carlow. More than 100 Gardaí took part, drawn from the GNDOCB, national specialist units and other units in the counties concerned.
Alongside the vapes and cannabis-based products, Gardaí seized more than €235,000 in cash, £3,000 in sterling and $3,500 in US dollars. A number of high-value vehicles were also taken.
No arrests have been made at this time. The seized products will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis, and investigations are continuing.
The searches form part of Operation Tara, an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy launched by the Garda Commissioner in July 2021. Its focus is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks at every level, whether international, national or local. That covers the importation, distribution, cultivation, production and local sale and supply of controlled drugs.