SIX people were in cus-tody last night after cannabis worth almost E4million was seized in two separate drug raids.
Both seizures were made as part of the Garda's ongoing investagion into Sale and supply of drugs in the west of Ireland, The raid in Galway and in Kells, Co Meath, were conduct-ed Wider the auspices of Operation Nitrogen, which tar-gets cannabis growing operations. In the Galway operation carried out yesterday, gardai found cannabis plants worth an estimated €2.5million in the Tuam area. Two men, in their mid-40s and early-50s, were arrested at the scene and held at Mill Street Garda station.
Operation
In a follow-up operation, two more men were stopped in a car and also arrested. The four are reported as being Asian nationals. Gardai uncovered what they called a "sophisticated" cannabis growing operation at a local busi-ness premises. Gardai from the Divisional Drugs Unit at Mill Street Garda station in Galway, assisted by local gardai and the Regional Support Unit, swooped on the building in an industrial estate in Milltown About 3,000 plants at various stages of growth and growing para-phernalia were seized. A spokesman said investigations are continuing.
The Tuam raid was the second sig-nificant seizure in 48 hours after €1.5 million worth of cannabis herb was seized earlier from a business premises in Kells, Co Meath. Two people, a than and a woman, were arrested in that operation on Friday night, The two also remained in custody last night when they were arrested after the bust. Officers from the Kells Garda drug unit, assisted by the Regional Support Unit, searched a business premises in the town and discov-ered a large cannabis cultivating operation. The 53-year-old man and 43-year-old woman were detained at the scene and held at Kells Garda sta-tion. The raid was part of an intelli-gence-led operation by the Kells Garda drug unit.
GARDA! SEIZE CAR AT TRAVELLER CHRISTENING
=GARDA! seized a luxury car and arrested two people after they swooped =on a traveller Christening in Coolock, Dublin, yesterday. The vehicle was impounded by officers after they arrived during the service in Priorswood Church, Clonshaugh, yesterday afternoon. It is believed that gardai are investigating if the car had been bought with =the proceeds of crime. Following the seizure, a number of travellers angrily remonstrated with gar-dai and a group eventually descended on Coolock Garda station.
A source said one thug issued a sinister threat to "kill" a garda officer as he was trying to calm the situation down. The traveller thug subsequent-ly fled the building and was chased by officers who attempted to arrest him. In total, two people, a 43-year-old male and an 18-year-old woman, were arrested for public order offences. IThe garda operation is believed to have been targeting criminal associ- Mates of murdered Joyce brothers Tommy (20) and John Paul (30).
