Gardaí in Co Cork seized drugs worth €750,000 during a a routine Garda checkpoint last night. Just before 8 p.m. gardaí at a checkpoint one-mile north of Fermoy stopped a van in which they found about 60 kilos of cannabis resin, estimated to have a street value of 750,000.
The driver, who was the sole occupant, was arrested and taken to Fermoy Garda station for questioning. He is being held under Section Two of the Drug Trafficking Act and can be held for up to seven days.
This is one of the largest drug seizures to have been made outside of planned Garda anti-drug operations.
All of the major drugs seizures this year have been as a result of planned operations, usually involving the Garda National Drugs Unit. To date this year, gardaí have made seizures worth over €50 million.
The largest haul occurred last January when gardaí seized 1.6 tonnes of cannabis resin at a business premises in Swords, with an estimated street value of 20 million.
Gardaí made two further seizures with a street value of more than 10 million in April and May of this year. Earlier this month the national drugs unit, along with the Custom's National Drug Team, also found 150kgs of cannabis resin with an estimated street value of €2million, during an operation in Clondalkin. Two men were arrested.
Other drug seizures this month included 500,00 of cannabis in Limerick, and a further 500,000 of cannabis and cocaine in Coolock.
