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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Cian O'Broin

Gardai find drugs worth €40,000 during search of car on Laois motorway as man arrested

A man aged in his 40s has been arrested after tens of thousands of euros worth of cannabis herb was found in his car.

As part of Operation Tara, gardai from the Roads Policing Unit at Portlaoise stopped a car on the M7 in Portlaoise, County Laois on Tuesday, March 28.

Following a search of the car, cannabis herb worth approximately €40,000 was seized by gardaí.

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A Garda spokesperson said: "The driver of the car, a man his 40s, was arrested and taken to a Garda Station in County Laois where he is currently detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996."

They added that the man can be detained at the station for a period of up to seven days.

This seizure forms part of Operation Tara, which is an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy, launched by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris in July of 2021.

Cannabis herb worth approximately €40,000 was found in the car (Garda Press Office)

The focus of Operation Tara is to disrupt, dismantle and prosecute drug trafficking networks, at all levels, from international to national and local. The emphasis is on tracking and detaining those involved in the importation, distribution, cultivation, production, local sale and supply of controlled drugs.

A garda spokesperson said that the €40,000 worth of drugs seized in Laois are subject to a technical analysis.

"The investigation is ongoing and further updates will follow," they added.

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