Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4981Drug trafficking (sleeping tablets and tranquilisers) · Co. Dublin · 11 Oct 2024

Gardaí seize €2 million in illegal tablets in Dublin searches

Gardaí seized almost €2 million worth of illegal sleeping tablets and tranquilisers in a series of searches across Dublin, as part of Operation Citizen. Two men, aged in their 50s and 30s, were arrested, and the man in his 30s has been charged.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrested12 Oct
    2 reports
  3. Charged11 Oct
    3 reports
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
42 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDrugs worth over €1.976 million were seized. (garda.ie)
  • whatCannabis valued at €8.5 million was seized and four men were arrested. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatSome 429 kilos of cannabis was seized during the operation. (irishtimes.com)
  • what429 kilos of cannabis with a street value of €8.5 million was seized. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatA stop and search of a car in south Dublin recovered over 10,000 Zopiclone and Alprazolam tablets valued at €20,000. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatTwo further searches in DMR West and South recovered about €45,000 cash and evidence relating to drug trafficking. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe total value of the drugs recovered is €1,976,000. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatGardaí seized almost €2 million worth of illegal sleeping tablets and tranquilisers. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatA car stopped and searched in South Dublin yielded more than 10,000 tablets valued at €20,000. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAbout 965,000 tablets were found at a business premises in the city centre, valued at around €1.93 million. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereA business premises in the Ballymount area was searched. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereGardaí searched a business premises in the Ballymount area of Tallaght after intercepting two vehicles. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereGardaí seized about €1.976 million of illegal tablets following searches in Dublin on Friday. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereA search of a business premises in south Dublin recovered about 965,000 tablets valued at about €1.93 million. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereA search of a premises in Dublin city centre recovered over 13,000 tablets valued at over €26,000. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereThe seizures were part of an operation targeting the main supply line of illegal medications in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe seizure took place on Friday 11 October 2024. (garda.ie)
  • whenThe premises was searched on Friday afternoon. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe operation took place on Friday 11 October 2024. (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe tablets were seized the day before the article was published. (irishmirror.ie)
  • causeGardaí intercepted two vehicles shortly after 3pm. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe Dublin Crime Response Team made the seizure. (garda.ie)
  • investigationA second man was arrested following the seizure. (garda.ie)
  • investigationInvestigations are ongoing. (garda.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe operation was carried out by the Garda and Revenue under Operation Tara, which targets organised crime. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe operation was carried out by the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau and the Tallaght Drug Unit, supported by the Revenue Customs Service. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationFour men aged 31, 45, 52 and 58 were arrested under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 for offences of facilitating and enhancing a criminal organisation to commit drug trafficking offences. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationGardaí conducted a planned operation targeting the main supply line of illegal tablets into Dublin city centre. (dublinlive.ie)
  • investigationThe seizures followed planned searches by the Dublin Crime Response Team as part of Operation Citizen. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationTwo men, aged in their 50s and 30s, were arrested in connection with the seizure. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe two men were held at separate Garda stations under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeGardaí have charged the second man arrested. (garda.ie)
  • chargeThe men were arrested under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 for facilitating and enhancing a criminal organisation to commit drug trafficking offences. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeTwo men, aged in their 50s and 30s, were arrested under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. (dublinlive.ie)
  • chargeThe man in his 30s has been charged. (dublinlive.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe man is due to appear before Tallaght District Court on Monday 14 October 2024 at 10.30am. (garda.ie)
  • courtThe man in his 30s is due to appear before the evening sitting of Court 1 at the Criminal Courts of Justice Dublin on 12 October 2024. (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe man in his 30s was due to appear in court later on the day the article was published. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe men are being held at Garda stations in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe Garda head of Organised and Serious Crime said the operation targets the enablers and facilitators of global drug trafficking networks. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherAll four men were detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 at Garda stations in the Dublin Region. (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherChief Superintendent Patrick McMenamin said the operation had disrupted a major supply line of drugs into the city centre. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 12 Oct2024
    Chargedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Gardaí seize €2 million worth of illegal tablets in series of Dublin searches

    Reports a Dublin Crime Response Team seizure of about €1.976 million in Zopiclone and Alprazolam tablets, the arrests of two men, and a charge against the man in his 30s. No existing case covers this operation.

    suspect, 50s, maleaccused, 30s, male
  2. 12 Oct2024
    Chargeddublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Arrests after almost €2 million worth of illegal tablets seized in Dublin raids

    Reports a seizure of about €1.976 million of illegal tablets across several Dublin searches under Operation Citizen, two arrests, and a charge against the man in his 30s.

    accused, 30s, malesuspect, 50s, male
  3. 12 Oct2024
    Arresteddublinlive.ie, follow-up
    Four arrested after major €8.5 million cannabis seizure in Tallaght

    First report of this seizure and the arrests of four men; no existing case matches.

    suspect, 31, malesuspect, 45, malesuspect, 52, malesuspect, 58, male
  4. 12 Oct2024
    Arrestedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    Four arrested after €8.5 million of cannabis seized in Tallaght, Co Dublin

    First report of the seizure and arrests in Tallaght; no existing case matches.

    suspect, 31, malesuspect, 45, malesuspect, 52, malesuspect, 58, male
  5. 11 Oct2024
    Chargedgarda.ie, follow-up
    Court Appearance - Operation Citizen, DCRT Seizure of tablets valued at €1.976 million, 11th October, 2024.

    Adds that the second man arrested, aged in his 50s, has been charged and is due before Tallaght District Court at 10.30am on 14 October 2024.

    accused, 50s, male