Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Ex footie star in £3m heroin sting
Former pro & official held after 22kg find in Garda raid
A FORMER soccer professional and a grassroots official are being questioned following a drugs sting yesterday.
Gardai and revenue officers seized a £3million heroin haul during the operation in West Dublin.
The 22kg was discovered packed in plastic in the intelligence-led swoop.
The haul was destined for the lucrative drugs market across the city and would have flooded communities with misery, sources said.
Two men aged in their 30s and 40s were arrested and are being questioned at Blanchardstown Garda station.
The Daily Mirror understands one of them once enjoyed a stint as a professional footballer in Britain.
The second suspect also has strong links to grassroots soccer in the country.
Neither have known previous convictions for serious crime.
Sources indicated the heroin smuggling route was on the radar of gardai and revenue investigators for some time.
Detective Chief Supt Angela Willis, Head of Bureau at the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, said: “The outcome of co-operation between Revenue and Customs and An
Garda Siochana, has resulted in the seizure of a significant quantity of heroin from circulation within communities that are suffering the consequences of drug trafficking.”
A Garda spokesman added: “On Wednesday, Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Siochana, through the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, participated in a joint intelligence-led operation.
“During the course of the operation, 22kg of suspected heroin, with an estimated street value of £3million – subject to confirmation through analysis – was seized in the Dublin 15 area.”
A spokesman for the Revenue added: “The collaboration between both agencies as well as international colleagues was significant in the
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successful outcome of this operation. This operation was part of Revenue’s ongoing joint investigations targeting the importation of illegal drugs.
“If businesses or members of the public have any information regarding drug smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on Confidential Phone Number 1800 295 295.”
In the first six months of 2020, the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau reported a total of £12million worth of drugs had been seized, making yesterday’s a significant seizure.
Drug offences jumped 10% during the period of peak lockdown.
It restricted the market for drugs like cocaine that are regularly used by revellers at weekends.
However, heroin has remained a major earner for crime gangs as desperate addicts ignored the pandemic risks in search of a fix.