Four men arrested after drone caught flying contraband into Dublin prisons
On Sunday 20 April 2025, Gardaí from Ronanstown stopped a drone from flying contraband into a Dublin prison and searched a residential property in west Dublin under warrant, seizing a drone, electronic devices, controlled drugs, cash and other items. Four adult males, aged in their late teens, 20s, 30s and 40s, were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. All four were released without charge, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. A related operation also targeted a violent criminal serving time, arrested as the suspected ringleader of the drone operation. Investigations remain ongoing.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested20 Apr
2 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí from Ronanstown stopped a drone from flying contraband into a Dublin prison and searched a residential property in west Dublin under warrant.
- A drone, electronic devices, controlled drugs (€17,000 cannabis, €5,000 cocaine, €3,000 tablets), €22,000 cash, a Rolex watch, mobile phones, financial documents, improvised weapons and drug paraphernalia were seized.
- Four adult males, aged in their late teens, 20s, 30s and 40s, were arrested.
- Where
- The search was at a house in west Dublin, with follow-up searches in south-west Dublin including Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght.
- When
- The drone delivery attempt and search took place on Sunday 20 April 2025.
- Charges
- The four men were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
- Investigation
- All four men were released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- The searches were conducted by the South Serious Crime Unit with assistance from the Dublin Crime Response Team.
- Other details
- A violent criminal serving time for serious offences was arrested in a related operation as the suspected ringleader of the drone operation.
- The operation, called Operation Tara, targeted the supply of controlled substances into prisons in the west Dublin area.
27 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe operation targets the supply of controlled substances into prisons in the west Dublin area (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí from Ronanstown Garda Station became aware of an attempt to carry out a drone delivery to a prison (garda.ie)
- whatA drone and a number of electronic devices were seized during the search (garda.ie)
- whatA vehicle was seized during the follow-up searches (garda.ie)
- whatFour adult males were arrested (garda.ie)
- whatThe four males were aged in their late teens, 20s, 30s and 40s (garda.ie)
- whatFour men were arrested after Gardaí stopped a drone from flying contraband into Dublin prisons. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA drone and a number of electronic devices were discovered at the house. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe four men were aged in their late teens, 20s, 30s and 40s. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Irish Prison Service constructed new wire mesh over the D Yard of Mountjoy Prison after criminals burned through the old net weekly with drone-dropped packages. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA violent criminal currently serving time for serious offences was arrested as the suspected ringleader of the drone operation. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPhones wrapped in insulation tape ready to be sent by drone to the prisons were found. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatControlled drugs including €17,000 cannabis, €5,000 cocaine and €3,000 worth of tablets were seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- what€22,000 in cash, a drone, a Rolex watch, mobile phones, financial documents, improvised weapons and drug paraphernalia were seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGardaí searched a residential property under warrant in west Dublin on 20 April 2025 (garda.ie)
- whereFollow-up searches were conducted in south-west Dublin (garda.ie)
- whereThe four males were detained at Garda Stations in the Dublin Region (garda.ie)
- whereGardaí from Ronanstown searched a house in West Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereRaids were carried out on properties in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe drone delivery attempt occurred on Sunday 20 April 2025 (garda.ie)
- investigationA file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationThe four men were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and later released without charge. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe searches were conducted by Gardaí from the South Serious Crime Unit with assistance from the Dublin Crime Response Team. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationTwo other cells in Mountjoy were searched but no one else was arrested and no contraband was found. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe four males were detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (garda.ie)
- otherAll four males were released without charge (garda.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 22 Apr2025Gang caught 'red-handed' with drone after attempt to get contraband into prison
First report of the drone contraband operation. Four men arrested Sunday 20 April and released without charge; file being prepared for the DPP. Related Tuesday operation targeted the suspected ringleader, a violent criminal serving time, linked to the West Dublin gang known as 'The Family'.
suspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, malesuspect, male - 20 Apr2025Operation Tara - Search and Arrest Operation in West Dublin, 20th April 2025
Gardaí press release confirming operational details: four males (late teens, 20s, 30s, 40s) arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at Garda Stations in the Dublin Region, all released without charge, file to be prepared for the DPP, investigations ongoing.
suspect, late teens, malesuspect, 20s, malesuspect, 30s, malesuspect, 40s, male