Ireland - Gardaí seize largest ever haul of methamphetamine

[Lunar Loops]

This from BreakingNews.ie (article link):

Gardaí seize largest ever haul of methamphetamine

22/07/2008 - 18:26:19

Gardaí have made the largest ever seizure of methamphetamine in the history of State after it swooped on a suspected Eastern European trafficking gang, it emerged tonight.

Six kilos of the lethal drug were recovered when the drugs squad and customs stopped and searched two vehicles which had come off a ferry in Dublin.

It is understood covert units tailed a number of men from the capital to Birr, Co Offaly, where they carried out the raid.

Eight kilos of herbal cannabis were also seized.

Investigating officers said they were following the activities of a Lithuanian drugs trafficking gang when they recovered the drugs.

There were several follow-up searches in Cork, Kerry and Meath, said a Garda spokesman.

“This arrest is the latest in Operation Chestnut, an investigation set up to target east European drugs trafficking gangs impacting on Ireland,” he added.

Initially, due to the quantity of the seizure, Customs believed they were dealing with a cocaine haul, but forensic tests revealed the six kilos of methamphetamine.

It is is a very addictive stimulant drug that affects the central nervous system.

The drugs are believed to have a potential street value of €500,000, but this figure may be revised pending further examination.

A 32-year-old arrested during the joint operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit and Revenue’s Customs Service was being questioned.

He was being held at Tullamore Garda Station under Section Two of the Drug Trafficking Act.

The Revenue Customs Service said the drugs haul had been hidden inside two vehicles that had arrived in Ireland by ferry through Dublin Port.

The sting operation was carried out by Customs, the Garda National Drugs Unit and foreign law enforcement agencies.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Thanks for sharing.

[Joe Duffy]

That’s quite a bit of an increase from last year’s total seizures of 10.2 grams.

[Alfa]

6 kg's is the Gardai its largest haul ever???? Has methamphetamine simply not arrived in Ireland or does the Gardai not care about methamphetamine?

[podge]

Meth is very rare in Ireland, swim has only heard of it circulating in his area a few times. I think most people would be very wary of buying meth initially as their is so much stigma attached to it , but with that said i wouldnt be surprised if its getting mixed down and being sold as one of the more "fashionable" drugs like Cocaine, MDMA or regular amphetamine in the club scene to try introduce it.

[vinylmesh]

SWIM knows very little about all this, but had always thought that meth would never take off here provided there was a steady supply of regular amphetamine.

Does this mean that "speed" will now contain meth? or possibly always has?

SWIM had always assumed it was either poor countries or countries with REALLY strict drug-laws that had large meth problems as methamphetamine is easier to produce than amphetamine and so strict laws will favor the production of methamphetamine.

SWIM had attributed the lack of a meth epidemic in Ireland to the less strict drug-laws of certain other european countries.for this reason SWIM is suprised to hear about meth being used in the Netherlands (maybe it's just produced there, bound for other markets)
how common is meth usage over there?

[Hyperspaceblastoff]

is that really cheap meth or is that just me

[Coconut]

SWIM has never heard of methamphetamine in Ireland, ever. Amphetamine, however, is probably common and was even joked about by SWIM's grandparents when he was younger. If he got hyper they would comment about how he "must be on speed".

[kb13]

Originally Posted by Hyperspaceblastoff

is that really cheap meth or is that just me

By my calculations (excluding the street value of the weed)
thats €83 per gram or $114. Here in the US $xxx-$xxx per gram is typical. So I would say it's average.


Anyhow, that shit is poison!

Live natural -

[Pondlife]

@kb13: Please read the rules about not posting prices. I've edited your post to remove them because you don't have edit rights yet. I've left in the estimated value for the seized meth, as that figure comes from the news report.

[cosmicruler]

"Eight kilos of herbal cannabis were also seized."

as opposed to....non-herbal cannabis????

[aerozeppelin123]

^ I think it means as opposed to cannabis resin

[beentheredonethatagain]

Six kilos of the lethal drug were recovered when the drugs squad and customs stopped and searched two vehicles which had come off a ferry in Dublin.


This article list meth as a lethal drug. I think they are being a little dramatic , meth isnt a drug that is going to kill you, it may do other damage but its not deadly.

[shroomeryguy]

Originally Posted by beentheredonethatagain

Six kilos of the lethal drug were recovered when the drugs squad and customs stopped and searched two vehicles which had come off a ferry in Dublin.


This article list meth as a lethal drug. I think they are being a little dramatic , meth isnt a drug that is going to kill you, it may do other damage but its not deadly.

I thought it does over a long time since most of the meth is poorly made.

[cannabis-sam]

Swim thinks it was probably contaminated weed if it's been smuggled in with meth by a load of criminals.

[tokerjoker]

delighted. i say well done to the guards about catchin the meth. its filthy and dealdly addictive and dangerous. All i have to say is they should give SWIM the herbal cannabis that was found

[humdroid]

Y lives in the island next door to ireland, and was a keen speeder.
He was always wary about meth making its debut, but was keen to avoid it.

Last year, there was a couple of times, Y got this speed in different shades of pink, which was much much stronger than the norm, and that was strong enough.
Y enjoyed this pink stuff but supply ran out.

It was only on reflection, it occured to Y that maybe it was a good thing he never saw that top quality pink stuff, and wondered 'could it have been meth?'

It dosen't matter to Y these days, as he has been forced off speed due to depresssion (broke out long after Y's last speed useage)

[akack2]

aye meth never kicked off here,was surprised to even see this seizure to be honest.