DRUGS UNIT SMASHES GANG, TAKES RECORD HAUL

A TEENAGE drug pushing gang has been smashed, following the pounds 1.5
million seizure of 100,000 ecstasy tablets, by a 10 member team attached to
the Garda National Drugs Unit.

The gang leader, an 18 year old who goes by the name ‘Domo’, is well known
in the Crumlin and Drimnagh areas of Dublin. A garda source described the
gang as vicious in the manner they conducted their emerging drug dealing
operation.

The three gang members arrested yesterday when the drugs were captured,
face life imprisonment if charged and convicted with possession of the
ecstasy to supply others.

The seizure, the largest haul of ecstasy by gardai this year, came about
following a six week covert surveillance operation by members of the
National Drugs Team based at Harcourt Square under the guidance of
Detective Chief Superintendent Ted Murphy. Detectives from the
Blanchardstown Garda Drugs Squad were also involved.

A 9am yesterday the team decided to move in on the three gang members as
they transported the 100,000 ecstasy tablets across Dublin. Garda cars
surrounded a vehicle as it was leaving the M50 at Ballymount exit, and
arrested the three men.

Once cornered by the gardai, the men endeavoured to make a getaway but this
was thwarted by an alert garda driver, who sealed off their escape.

This is understood to be the biggest deal the gang was ever involved in and
was part of their climb up the Dublin criminal ladder where they were
becoming increasingly important players.

The gang members were well known to the gardai but none are understood to
have any previous drug convictions.

All three men were taken to Blanchardstown for questioning where they were
detained under Section 21 of the Drug Trafficking Act. They can be
detained, subject to extension of the detention order, for up to seven days.

The haul of 100,000 tablets was put on display at Blanchardstown Garda
Station yesterday and consisted of a product known as ‘Mitsubishis’. The
tablets get their names from the triple diamond logo with which they are
embossed.

However, while gardai know the drugs were imported into Ireland, they are
not aware of how the 100,000 tablets came into the country.

The haul is the largest seizure of ecstasy by the gardai this year and
ranks as joint third in terms of street value of illegal drugs confiscated
this year.

On March 18 gardai seized pounds 2 million worth of heroin during a raid in
a Dublin hotel.

In June 179 kilos of cannabis with a street value of pounds 1.7 million was
seized by Limerick gardai. In June pounds 1 million worth of cannabis resin
was recovered from woods in the Naad area in the north of County Cork.