Four men arrested after €2.1m in drugs and cash seized in multi-region Operation Tara raids
Four men, aged in their 20s, 40s and 60s, were arrested on 23 September 2026 after a series of searches under Operation Tara, a nationwide Garda crackdown on drug gangs, in Kilkenny, Dublin and other parts of the country. The raids, conducted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau with regional units, seized cocaine with an estimated street value of €1.6 million, diamorphine worth €529,000, a small quantity of psilocin, cash totalling €34,300 and several vehicles. Two of the men were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering offences and appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice District Court on 24 September 2026. The other two men remain detained at Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, and investigations are ongoing.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Charged24 Sep
4 reports - In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Four men aged in their 20s, 40s and 60s were arrested following a series of searches under Operation Tara.
- Cocaine with an estimated street value of €1.6 million, diamorphine worth €529,000, a small quantity of psilocin, cash totalling €34,300 and several vehicles were seized.
- Where
- The operation took place in Kilkenny, Dublin and other parts of the country.
- When
- The operation was conducted on 23 September 2026.
- Investigation
- The operation was an intelligence-led effort by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in collaboration with regional units from the Northwestern, Eastern and Dublin Metropolitan Regions, targeting regional drug trafficking networks.
- The other two men remain detained at Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and investigations are ongoing.
- Charges
- Two of the men were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering offences.
- In court
- The two charged men appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice District Court.
40 statements extracted from the articles
- whatFour men were arrested after a series of searches (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe men arrested were aged in their 20s, 40s and 60s (dublinlive.ie)
- whatFour men were arrested following the seizure of drugs worth in excess of €2 million. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCocaine with an estimated value of €1.6 million was seized. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDiamorphine (heroin) with an estimated value of €529,000 was seized. (irishtimes.com)
- whatSeveral vehicles were seized. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe four men were aged in their 20s, 40s and 60s. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFour men were arrested in the operation (irishmirror.ie)
- whatDiamorphine (heroin) with an estimated street value of €529,000 was seized (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe searches took place across the country (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe operation took place in Kilkenny, Dublin and other parts of the country (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe operation was conducted on 23 September 2026 (garda.ie)
- whenThe drugs were seized on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe operation took place on 23 September 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe detention of the other two males is ongoing at garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe operation was a combined effort between GNDOCB and regional Garda units from the Northwestern, Eastern, and Dublin Metropolitan Regions (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe operation was carried out by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí from the Northwestern Region, Eastern Region and Dublin Metropolitan Region were involved. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe two other men remain detained at Garda stations in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe operation was intelligence-led and conducted by the GNDOCB with regional units from the Northwestern, Eastern and Dublin Metropolitan Regions (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe raids were part of Operation Tara, a nationwide Garda crackdown on drugs gangs (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe detention of the other two men is ongoing at Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeTwo males were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering offences (garda.ie)
- chargeTwo of the men were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering offences (dublinlive.ie, irishtimes.com)
- chargeTwo men were charged with drug trafficking and money laundering offences (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe two charged males appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice District Court (garda.ie)
- courtThe two charged men appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice District Court (dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe two charged men appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice. (irishtimes.com)
- courtTwo men appeared before Kilkenny District Court (irishmirror.ie)
- courtTwo men appeared before the Criminal Courts of Justice District Court in Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe operation was conducted by GNDOCB in collaboration with regional units from the Northwestern, Eastern, and Dublin Metropolitan Regions (garda.ie)
- otherThe operation targeted regional drug trafficking networks (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherFour males aged in their 20s, 40s, and 60s were arrested (garda.ie)
- otherA number of vehicles were seized (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- otherCocaine with an estimated street value of €1.6 million was seized (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- otherDiamorphine with an estimated street value of €529,000 was seized (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherA small quantity of psilocin (magic mushrooms) was seized (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- otherCash totalling €34,300 was seized (garda.ie, dublinlive.ie, irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe other two men are being held at Garda stations in the Dublin area (dublinlive.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 25 Sep2026Gardai arrest four men after officers seize drugs and cash worth more than €2m
Reports the initial arrest and charging of four men in a multi-region Operation Tara operation conducted by the GNDOCB with regional units.
accused, 20s, maleaccused, 40s, malesuspect, 60s, malesuspect, 20s, male - 24 Sep2026Four arrested after seizure of drugs including cocaine and heroin worth more than €2m
Original Garda statement reporting the arrests, charges and court appearances following the Operation Tara multi-region drug seizure.
suspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, male - 24 Sep2026Four arrests made as Gardaí seize €1.6m of cocaine in drug bust
Confirms the operation was a combined effort between GNDOCB and regional units from the Northwestern, Eastern, and Dublin Metropolitan Regions targeting regional drug trafficking networks. Confirms two men appeared before Kilkenny District Court and the Criminal Courts of Justice, and the other two are held at Garda stations in the Dublin area.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 40s, malesuspect, 60s, malesuspect, male - 24 Sep202624/09/2026 Operation Tara - Seizure of €1.6 million Worth of Cocaine, Four Arrests, 23rd September 2026
Garda press release confirming the specific courts (Kilkenny District Court and Criminal Courts of Justice) where the two charged males appeared, and that the other two remain in detention at DMR garda stations.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 40s, malesuspect, 60s, malesuspect, 60s, male