Ireland Case No. 3547Possession of controlled drugs (for sale/supply) · Co. Monaghan · 13 Mar 2026
Lithuanian man remanded over €5.2m cocaine seizure in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
Arunas Racyla, 53, a Lithuanian man, was remanded in custody at Monaghan District Court on 16 March 2026 after being charged with possessing cocaine and possessing cocaine for sale or supply following a Garda seizure of alleged cocaine worth €5.2 million in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan, on 13 March 2026.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested13 Mar
3 reports - Charged13 Mar
- In court16 Mar
- Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports55 statements extracted from the articles
- whatGNDOCB personnel supported by the Dublin Crime Response Team conducted the operation. (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí seized suspected cocaine with an estimated value of €5.25 million. (garda.ie)
- whatCocaine worth €5.25 million was seized as part of Operation Tara. (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí seized €5.25 million worth of cocaine (irishtimes.com)
- whatTwo people were arrested in the raid (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe raid targeted a drug-trafficking network (irishtimes.com)
- whatA man in his 50s was arrested (irishtimes.com)
- whatA woman in her 40s was arrested (irishtimes.com)
- what€5.25 million worth of suspected cocaine was seized (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne adult male in his 50s was arrested (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne adult female in her 40s was arrested (irishmirror.ie)
- whatHe is charged over a Garda seizure of alleged cocaine worth €5.2 million in Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe operation involved an intervention of vehicles and a search of a business premise in Co. Monaghan. (garda.ie)
- whereThe incident occurred in Co. Monaghan. (garda.ie)
- whereVehicles and a business premises in Co Monaghan were searched (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe operation involved searches of several vehicles and a business premise in Monaghan (irishmirror.ie)
- whereHis address is Highfield, Carrickmacross. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe operation took place on Friday 13 March 2026. (garda.ie)
- whenThe seizure took place on 13 March 2026. (garda.ie)
- whenThe search took place on Friday, 13 March 2026 (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe operation was carried out on Friday, 13 March 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenHe was arrested at 6:07pm on Sunday at Carrickmacross Garda Station. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenHe was charged at 6:15pm. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe operation was part of ongoing investigations targeting organised crime under Operation Tara. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe two arrested are detained at Garda Stations in the Monaghan Division under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe operation was supported by the Custom Revenue Service, local units in Monaghan, and the Belgian Federal Maritime Police. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis. (garda.ie, irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing. (garda.ie)
- investigationA file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions regarding the female. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe two arrested were detained in Garda stations in the Monaghan area on Saturday (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe operation was supported by the Customs Revenue Service, local units in Monaghan, and the Belgian Federal Maritime Police (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe seizure forms part of Operation Tara (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe operation was conducted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau supported by the Dublin Crime Response Team (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe operation was part of Operation Tara targeting organised crime (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe two are detained at Garda Stations in the Monaghan Division (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDetective Garda Kate Mulligan of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeA man in his 50s and a woman in her 40s were arrested under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006. (garda.ie)
- chargeThe male in his 50s has been charged. (garda.ie)
- chargeThe two were arrested pursuant to Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe first charge is possessing cocaine at Ballyloughan, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan on 13 March, contrary to section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe second charge is possessing cocaine for sale or supply on the same date and location, contrary to section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe male is due to appear before Monaghan District Court on 16 March 2026 at 10:30am. (garda.ie)
- courtHe appeared at Monaghan District Court on Monday 16 March 2026 before Judge Raymond Finnegan. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThere was no bail application. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Finnegan remanded him in custody to appear at Monaghan District Court next Monday for DPP directions. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe female in her 40s was released without charge. (garda.ie)
- otherIt is the second-biggest seizure of drugs under Operation Tara this year (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe cocaine is understood to be connected to the crime gang The Family (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe cocaine had recently come from Belgium when it was seized (irishmirror.ie)
- otherOperation Tara was launched by the Garda Commissioner in July 2021 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe did not speak during the hearing. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe wore a green hoodie with 'Ireland, Pride and Glory' printed on it. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe hearing lasted less than a minute. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe had a Lithuanian interpreter for the hearing. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe was handed a true copy of the charges and made no reply. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 16 Mar2026Man appears in court over alleged cocaine haul worth more than €5 million
First court appearance; remanded in custody to appear next Monday for DPP directions. No bail application made.
accused, Arunas Racyla, 53, male, Lithuanian, named, non-irishArunas Racyla - 16 Mar2026Man and woman arrested after €5.25m worth of cocaine seized in major garda op
Adds details about a second arrest (woman in her 40s), the connection to the crime gang The Family, the Belgian origin of the cocaine, and the involvement of the Belgian Federal Maritime Police and Custom Revenue Service in the operation.
suspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, female - 14 Mar2026Cocaine worth more than €5m recovered in Garda raid
Confirms the arrest of two people (man in 50s, woman in 40s), details the operation's support from the Customs Revenue Service and Belgian Federal Maritime Police, and notes it is the second-biggest seizure under Operation Tara this year.
suspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, female - 13 Mar2026Court Appearance - Operation Tara: GNDOCB Seizes Cocaine worth €5.25 million, Two Arrests, Co. Monaghan, 13th March 2026
Confirms the male in his 50s has been charged and is due at Monaghan District Court on 16 March 2026 at 10:30am; states the female in her 40s was released without charge with a file to be prepared for the DPP.
suspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, female - 13 Mar2026Operation Tara: GNDOCB Seizes Cocaine worth €5.25 million, Two Arrests, Co. Monaghan, 13th March 2026
Official GNDOCB press release confirming the seizure value at €5.25 million, the arrest of two people (man in 50s, woman in 40s) under Section 72 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006, and the involvement of the Custom Revenue Service and Belgian Federal Maritime Police.
suspect, 50s, malesuspect, 40s, female