Man and young woman arrested as €230,000 drugs seized in Laois

Gardaí have arrested two people and seized approximately €230,000 of suspected heroin and cocaine during a number of searches in Portlaoise this week.

The searches were conducted as part of Operation Tara by the Laois Drugs Unit. On May 3, a man in his 30s was stopped and searched on Mountmellick Road and was found in possession of €3,920 worth of heroin. He was arrested and detained under the provisions of Section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984.

On the same day, a search of a residence in Portlaoise led to the discovery and seizure of €15,680 heroin and €880 cocaine. A woman in her late teens has since been arrested and detained at a Garda station in the Midlands under the provisions of Section 2 Drug Trafficking Act, 1996.

On May 4, follow-up searches were conducted, aided by the Garda Dog Unit, at two further residences in Portlaoise where approximately 1.5kg of suspected heroin, to a value of €150,000, was seized. The drugs seized totalling €210,000 heroin and €880 cocaine will now be sent to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) for analysis.

The arrested man has since been charged and appeared before Portlaoise District Court yesterday. The arrested woman has since been charged and is due to appear before Nenagh District Court this afternoon.

Investigations are ongoing.