Two men held after €32m seizure of crystal meth

A PROMINENT business in Co. Kerry was raided by gardaí as part of a major seizure of the drug crystal meth worth an estimated €32million.

Two men have been arrested in connection with several seizures in the south of the country, one of whom is known to have rubbed shoulders with high-profile individuals, including politicians, sportsmen and multi-millionaires.

Following a joint operation at Cork Port between An Garda Síochána and Revenue’s Customs Service, a substantial drugs seizure was made yesterday morning.

Some 546kg of a synthetic drug, believed to be crystal meth, with an estimated value of €32.8million, was seized.

Garda personnel from the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit, Cork and a number of Garda units were involved in the operation.

Follow up searches were conducted in Tralee, elsewhere in Co. Kerry and in Co. Cork which resulted in the arrests of two men and the seizure of two firearms.

One of the premises raided included a well-known business in Co. Kerry.

A source told the Irish Daily Mail that gardaí believe the business was being used as a place to store and move drugs.

Its owner, who was one of the arrested men, is understood to come from a very well-respected family who have built up the business over decades.

A Garda spokesman said the men, both aged in their 40s, are detained at Garda stations in the Southern Region under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.

The raids are linked to investigations into an international drug dealing operation. Investigating officers suspect the drugs shipment was in transit through Ireland and bound for Australia.

Gardaí in Kerry are believed to have gathered intelligence that led to them to carry out searches in Cork Port. It’s understood the drugs were concealed inside machinery which was being carried as freight through the port.