Tag Archives: drugs

Last Friday during routine operations, Revenue officers at Shannon Airport seized 4.5kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €90,000. The drugs were found concealed in a parcel labelled as ‘clothing’, which had originated from Spain. The illegal drugs were destined for an address in County Carlow. Investigations are ongoing. 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.

AN outline of a county-wide approach to dealing with drugs and alcohol addiction was presented to members West Clare Municipal District. It came after Councillor Ian Lynch submitted a motion asking the director of service to “give an update on the multi-agency meeting in relation to addiction and what steps have been taken to help people in West Clare to deal with current addictions and prevent further addiction”. Monica Meehan, senior executive officer, rural development, stated in a written response, a meeting of all key agencies was convened by the Mid West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum to discuss interventions for post addiction services in West Clare and in particular pathways for long term recovery and engagement in the community. The organisations represented at the meeting included the Mid West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Forum, Bushy Park Treatment Centre, the Probation Service, Clare Local Development Company, An Garda Síochána, Bedford Row Clare, Ana Liffey Drugs Project Mid West, Clare Youth …

GARDAÍ in Clare and Limerick have seized cocaine and cannabis with an estimated street value of €97,000 following a joint operation on Wednesday evening and two arrests have been made. Gardaí stopped a vehicle at Junction 11 (Dromoland) on the M18 motorway shortly after 7pm on Wednesday and a subsequent search resulted in the seizure of cocaine with a value of €56,000 (subject to analysis). A 41 year old man was arrested and is currently being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at Ennis Garda Station. He was detained for an initial six hour period, which has now been extended to 18 hours. Under this legislation and with approval from the Chief Superintendent and the courts he can be detained for up to seven days. Superintendent Brendan McDonagh, of Ennis Garda Station described this seizure as “significant” as it has taken these drugs which were destined for the Clare market off the streets for …

Gardaí from the Clare Divisional Drug Unit have seized drugs valued at €21,000 at a house in Miltown Malbay. The seizure forms part of follow up searches that took place on Sunday, August 26, and follows seizures at lands and a property in Kilmurray, and from a vehicle on the Tulla Road in Ennis on Friday and brings the total drugs seized in Clare this past weekend to €181,000. As part of the most recent seizure gardaí obtained a search warrant for a house in Miltown Malbay and in the course of their search seized cannabis herb with an estimated street value of €21,000. A 22 year old man was arrested at the scene and taken to Ennis Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4, Criminal Justice Act, 1984. The man has since been released from custody and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardaí have seized drugs with an estimated street value of €125,000 and a sub machine gun as part of an on-going operation targeting the sale of illegal drugs in County Clare. The seizure was made following a search of a house and lands at Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge on Friday, August 24. During the course of the search Gardaí discovered a sub-machine gun and ammunition, 1.5kgs of cocaine with a street value of €105,000 and 1kg of Cannabis Herb with a street value of €20,000. Also as part of this operation a car was stopped and searched on the Tulla Road, Ennis and 1/2kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €35,000. The driver of the car, a man in his 20s, was arrested and taken to Ennis Garda Station. He has since been released and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The operation is on-going and further searches are being carried out today.

THERE is no “quick fix” when it comes to treating someone entrenched in addiction, and it requires not only the will and desire to get clean, but a host of supports also need to be in place, according to the Probation Service. Getting into treatment does not necessarily resolve the problem. According to Leah McGuire, assistant principal Probation Officer in the county, many pieces of the puzzle need to come together for it to be a success. “It’s not a quick fix. Addiction builds up over time and people see abstinence as the only answer and the only way they’ll see improvement. Whereas if you are taking someone off heroin, down to nothing, that takes time. I think the criminal justice system has got to see it like that as well. “A case might be adjourned for three months and [the offender] has got to get into treatment and get clean. They do it, and they might avoid prison. Then …

ACCORDING to the Probation Services, alcohol is just as significant an issue as drugs, when it comes to those engaged in offending behaviour. David Kenny, regional manager, South West Probation Service, said alcohol, together with benzos, cannabis, unprescribed medication, pockets of opioid use, and heroin are the types of substances most commonly used among those who become involved in criminal activity. Among offenders seen by the Probation Services in Clare, they have identified alcohol, cannabis, and benzos as the types of substances that “are coming up the whole time”, and this is because “they are the most accessible”. Leah McGuire, of the Probation Service in Clare, said cocaine does present itself also, but while it is often thought cocaine is a drug for those with money, at the end of the day it comes down to what’s most accessible at any given time. That, she said, “comes in waves and troughs, and it comes down to what’s a good price …

IF you were an outsider with a reasonable sense of perspective and you heard about the introduction of the sugar tax, you’d think Ireland cared about its young people far more than it actually does. On May 1, cans of fizzy drinks went up by 10 cents and two-litre bottles by 60 cents, with the thinking being that this new charge –debated in the press and at political level for months – was a wonderful move to combat obesity. Yes, this caring, health-conscious society was taking concrete action to make sure its young people were going to grow up as close to the peak of health and fitness as possible. But on May 1, as the new charge came into operation and our policymakers lauded themselves, teenagers all over Clare (and undoubtedly everywhere else), were out buying cannabis, cocaine, benzos and heroin. The ability to ignore this inconvenient truth is absolutely staggering, with no coherent strategy to tackle the parasites …