Further arrests are expected following Garda raids on suspected drug-dealers in six midland and eastern counties at 6 a.m. yesterday morning. The raids, in counties Dublin, Louth, Laois, Wexford, Offaly and Westmeath, were the first part of the Garda "Operation Clean Streets 4", in which almost 200 individuals have been identified by the Garda as suspected drug-dealers. Yesterday the Garda targeted 30 people out of a total of 191 it had identified over the past three months - the youngest being 14 years of age, the eldest 43.
Those arrested were detained under drugs offences legislation and files are expected to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The operation, which is an extension of the Garda's continuing Dublin-based Operation Clean Streets, involved undercover gardai buying drugs from individuals over the three-month period.
Drugs which the gardai were able to source included heroin, ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines. According to the Garda, it has identified 151 people in the Dublin area, 15 in Athlone, 10 in Drogheda, six in Tullamore, three in Portlaoise and two in Gorey whom it wants to investigate. This is the first time that Operation Clean Streets has been activated outside Dublin City.
Tackling the importation and distribution of drugs is largely the preserve of the National Drugs Unit based at Dublin Castle, while Operation Clean Streets is operated by undercover gardai and targeted at street dealers.
The operation is under the control of Assistant Garda Commissioner Jim McHugh. Yesterday gardai indicated the raids were designed to show that drug-dealing was being actively pursued outside Dublin.
The Gardai is confident that yesterday's raids will send a warning to dealers that it does not consider dealing to be a purely Dublin-city-based issue.
