Gardaiuncover cannabisfarm

April 2010

A HUGE cannabis farm in Donard uncovered as part of a garda investigation was capable of producing over €1 million worth of drugs per year.

The cannabis growing facility was only discovered after custom officers from Dublin Port visited the area on Wednesday at around 8 a.m. for a routine oil sampling investigation.

The factory was found in an isolated building on a farm.

Gardaí from Baltinglass and the National Drugs Unit were immediately contacted and called to the scene.

More than 400 cannabis plants and hi-tech cultivation and heating equipment was seized.

It was estimated that the herbal cannabis from the factory had a potential street value of over €250,000.

The factory allowed for the production of that sum every two to three months in what was a major operation.

The carcasses of two dead animals were also found lying about the grounds.

A 36 year old man was arrested at the scene and was questioned at Naas Garda Station under Section 2 of the Drug Trafficking Act.

He is from Ireland and lives in a location in County Wicklow.

Customs officials literally stumbled across the find as they were carrying out routine fuel samples of different vehicles. Forensics officers also carried out further examinations of the area after the initial find.

A high-tech heating and irrigation system was used to hothouse the crop in what gardai have described as ‘an industrial sized cannabis growing operation.’

It’s believed that large quantities of fertiliser found in the shed alongside a compressor was also being used to assist with the growth of the cannabis plants.