THREE ARRESTED AFTER POUNDS 750,000 COCAINE FIND

COCAINE with a street value of pounds 750,000 was seized and three people
were arrested by gardai in Dublin yesterday.

Seven kilos of cocaine were seized following the search of a room in a city
centre hotel yesterday morning. The search was conducted as part of a joint
operation between the Garda National Drugs Unit and the Customs National
Drugs Team.

The two men and one woman are being held at Store Street Garda Station
under Section Two of the Drug Trafficking - Criminal Justice Act. Those
arrested have not been charged but they can be held without charge for
seven days.

They men are a 45 year old with an address in Holland and a 27 year old
with an English address. The woman is 51 years old and with an address in
England. All three were being questioned yesterday by members of the
National Drugs Unit.

It is not yet clear if the drugs were destined for the Dublin market or
were in transit to another location. It is believed the drugs arrived in
the country two or three days ago.

Gardai described the seizure as another significant find. In January, two
kilos of cocaine with a street value of pounds 160,000 were found in Cork.

Cocaine and diamorphine worth over pounds 300,000 were seized in Kilmainham
in May. In September 1998, cocaine worth pounds pounds 41.5 million was
found on a boat in Cork.