THE seizure of €220,000 worth of cannabis in Bantry on Monday has been described by the Garda Chief Superintendent Con Cadogan as ‘the biggest haul we have had in the last couple of years in West Cork.’
He confirmed that it was ‘an intelligence-led operation’ and that one man, in his 30s, was arrested following a number of searches in the town.
The Chief Supt said the size of the seizure is ‘indicative of the demand for drugs’ but that Bantry ‘is no different to any other town.’
He also thanked the community for their support. ‘Drugs,’ he added, ‘have an impact on society. It impacts communities, families and individuals.’ But in dealing with the problem, he said, gardaí are getting a lot of calls from people.
‘When people ring us – where they feel drugs are being sold – we will act on that information and follow it through,’ he said.
He described Monday’s haul as an example of that type of intelligence and he urged people not to be afraid to speak to the local gardaí, or to ring the garda confidential line.
‘Parents who find their children using drugs, and don’t know where to turn, can come to us, without fear, and we will point them in the direction of supports,’ he added.
He confirmed that following an interaction with gardaí on mobile patrol in the Bantry area at approximately 1pm, a man was arrested and detained at Bantry Garda Station.
A quantity of suspected cannabis herb was located on his person and a number of follow-up searches were conducted in the Bantry area where further quantities of suspected cannabis herb were recovered.
The man has since been released without charge and a file is being prepared for the DPP.
