Three Tralee pubs face charges after Garda sting operations
THREE Tralee pubs are facing potential charges after Gardaí carried out a series of sting operations targeting underage drinking.
Last Tuesday – as part of a town-wide ‘Day of Action’ in Tralee – Gardaí ran a ‘ test purchasing’ operation which led to three detections for the sale of alcohol to underage people.
Under the terms of the Intoxicating Liquor Act, Gardaí – with parental permission – are permitted to recruit teenagers aged between 15 and 18 and send them into a licensed premises to buy alcohol.
Sting operations can be mounted if Gardaí have received complaints about a premises; if a pub has previous licensing contraventions; or simply based on “The clientele attracted to the premises”.
A garda spokesperson said that, based on the detections, files on the three pubs will now be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The ‘Day of Action’ on Tuesday, March 5, saw several arrests. Gardaí arrested seven people in relation to a number of recent incidents of burglary and theft; the possession of drugs; and public order offences. Five people have been charged, two will be summonsed to cour,t and one was released pending a file to the DPP. Eight warrants were also executed on five people who have since been brought before the courts.
Three premises were searched under warrant leading to the seizure of small quantities of cannabis herb and cocaine. Eleven checkpoints were mounted, resulting in a number of road-traffic offences being detected.