One man was arrested in relation to alleged drug debt intimidation in south Dublin yesterday.
Drug Related Intimidation, as the gardai call it, is when a criminal alleges a drug debt is owed by a victim and threatens violence or assaults them until the sum is paid. Family members of the victim can often be threatened or attacked by the criminal if the sum is not paid.
And many cases result in family members using their savings to pay off the debt. The arrest was made as part of garda Operation Fogra - which was launched to specifically tackle the issue.
Read more: Four men arrested for drug-related intimidation in Dublin
There were 288 incidents of Drug Related Intimidation reported by the gardai last year. The man arrested yesterday was released without charge but a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A garda spokesperson said: "On Saturday, 2nd July, 2022, Gardaí in the DMR South Central arrested one man in connection with an ongoing investigation into Drug Related Intimidation, as part of Operation Fógra. The man was detained at a Dublin Garda Station under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
"He has since been released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions." The spokesman added that "investigations are ongoing".
Read next:
Three men to appear in court for 'drug-related intimidation' in Dublin
Nearly 300 incidents of criminals intimidating victims with drug debts reported
Tallaght crack dealers coaxing older female addicts into sexual favours for cocaine
Gardai vow to smash the drug gangs openly dealing and targeting families over debt
Children as young as 8 being used as drug runners as epidemic grips parts of West Dublin
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