DUBLIN: Customs Officers have seized 85kg of herbal cannabis with a street value of €1.7m at Dublin Port. The drugs, destined for Dublin’s North City area, when officers scanned a container of animal feed which highlighted anomalies in the information provided with the shipment.
Revenue’s x-ray scanner revealed 85 smaller packages of vacuum-packed drugs hidden within large cartons of animal feed.
Figures show that more than 350kg of cannabis herb has been intercepted by Customs in the last four weeks accounting for 80% of total hauls of the drug for the year to date.
It followed a second seizure at the Portlaoise Mail Centre, when 42kg of herb was uncovered, with a street value of €840,000. They were discovered when Revenue’s sniffer dog, Stella, gave a positive reaction on a parcel described on the manifest as ‘food and spices’, consigned from West Africa to a north Dublin address
An analysis of Customs data shows that Dublin Port and the Portlaoise Mailing Centre make up the bulk of herb consignments this year.
The two biggest hauls were through Dublin Port: the 85kg seized on Monday; and 200kg confiscated on November 26.
In Monday’s interception, the drugs were discovered when officers scanned a container of animal feed. A Custom’s spokeswoman said this highlighted “anomalies” when compared to information provided with the shipment.
“Revenue’s X-ray scanner revealed 85 smaller packages of vacuum-packed drugs hidden within large cartons of animal feed,” the spokeswoman said.
She said the consignment was destined for a premises in Dublin’s north inner city. Investigations are ongoing and gardaí are involved.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation on Monday, gardaí uncovered a grow house in Avoca, Co Wicklow.
Detectives seized around 150 cannabis plants, with an estimated value of €120,000. Officers also removed a large amount of hydroponic equipment.
