GARDAÍ HAVE seized plasma televisions worth €1.6 million during a surveillance operation on a suspected major drug dealer.
Six men, between the ages of 23 and 51, were arrested after the operation by gardaí from the Organised Crime Unit. They had been monitoring criminal gangs in the Dublin area for months.
In particular, it and officers from the National Drugs Unit had monitored a man in his 50s from the south city who is suspected of being a major heroin smuggler.
The televisions were stolen from a warehouse in Santry, north Dublin, yesterday at about 8am. Gardaí tracked the thieves until they reached a house and shed complex in Carragh, near Naas, Co Kildare, at 11.35am when officers moved in to arrest them. Gardaí believe the site was being used regularly for storing stolen goods.
The men were taken to Garda stations in Kildare town, Newbridge and Naas for questioning and were being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act last night. They must be charged or released this morning.
About 3,000 plasma televisions were recovered from a 40ft container. They ranged in size from 38cm to 48cm and would retail at up to €1,000. They were destined for the black market.
Gardaí believe yesterday morning's robbery may have been carried out because of recent successes by the Garda in thwarting attempts to smuggle heroin into Ireland from Pakistan.
Earlier this year gardaí seized 10kg of heroin during an operation in Tallaght.
The gang, who had been thwarted by gardaí, may have sought more conventional means of funding their operations by attempting to steal the televisions.
