Ireland Man arrested over drone drug trafficking into Dublin prisons
Gardaí from the Drugs Unit in Ronanstown searched a residential property in west Dublin on 23 February 2024, seizing over €180,000 in cash, a designer watch valued at €10,000, and several mobile phones. The operation, part of Operation Tara, targets the supply of drugs into Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons by drone and follows a seizure on 12 February 2024 of a drone and diamorphine intended for a west Dublin prison. Gardaí said the operation targeted an organised crime gang, identified by sources as the Hutch gang, that used drones to fly drugs into the prisons. A 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene and is detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the Dublin Region.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested1 Feb
5 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Cash over €180,000, a designer watch valued at €10,000, and several mobile phones were seized during the search.
- Where
- The search was carried out at a residential property in west Dublin.
- When
- The search took place on Friday 23 February 2024.
- Cause
- The operation follows an earlier seizure on 12 February 2024 of a drone and diamorphine intended for a west Dublin prison.
- Investigation
- Gardaí from the Drugs Unit in Ronanstown carried out the search as part of Operation Tara targeting the supply of drugs into Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons.
- Sources said the operation targeted members of the Hutch organised crime gang, which is understood to use drones to fly drugs into the prisons.
- A 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene and detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the Dublin Region.
- Other details
- Gardaí said they believe the operation has smashed an organised crime gang using drones to smuggle drugs into Dublin prisons.
40 statements extracted from the articles
- whatCash over €180,000 was seized. (garda.ie)
- whatA designer watch valued at €10,000 was seized. (garda.ie)
- whatSeveral mobile phones were seized. (garda.ie)
- whatA 42-year-old male was arrested. (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí arrested a 42-year-old man over the use of drones to smuggle drugs into a Dublin prison. (irishtimes.com)
- whatGardaí believe they have smashed an organised crime gang using drones to smuggle drugs into prisons. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe gang is understood to use hi-tech equipment, including drones, to fly drugs into Wheatfield and Cloverhill prisons. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA man was arrested. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMore than €180,000 in various denominations was seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGardaí searched a residential property in west Dublin. (garda.ie, irishtimes.com)
- whereGardaí searched a home in west Dublin. (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe raid was on a house in Dublin. (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe Garda Drugs Unit from Ronanstown searched a home in west Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe search took place on Friday 23 February 2024. (garda.ie)
- whenThe search took place on Friday, 23 February. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe search took place on a Friday. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe raid took place on a Friday. (dublinlive.ie)
- causeThe operation followed an earlier seizure involving a drone and diamorphine intended for a west Dublin prison. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe operation targets the supply of controlled substances into prisons in west Dublin. (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí from the Drugs Unit in Ronanstown carried out the search. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe arrest was part of an investigation into the supply of drugs in Dublin prisons. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe arrest was part of ongoing operations targeting drug supply into Cloverhill and Wheatfield prisons. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationCash over €180,000, a designer watch and several mobile phones were seized. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationSources said the operation targeted members of the Hutch organised crime gang. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationA 42-year-old man was arrested at the scene and questioned at a Dublin garda station. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe 42-year-old man was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the Dublin Region. (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe arrest and seizure were part of a Garda investigation into drugs being delivered into prisons by drone. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe arrested man is detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a Garda station in the Dublin Region. (garda.ie)
- otherThe operation follows an earlier seizure on 12 February 2024 of a drone and diamorphine meant for a west Dublin prison. (garda.ie)
- otherOfficers found over €180,000 in cash in various denominations. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherA designer watch valued at €10,000 and several mobile phones were seized. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherA 42-year-old man was arrested and detained at a Garda station in Dublin. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe operation follows an earlier seizure of a drone and diamorphine intended for a west Dublin prison on 12 February 2024. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe man was arrested and detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, at a garda station in the Dublin region. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe operation follows an earlier drone seizure of diamorphine intended for a west Dublin prison on 12 February 2024. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí said both incidents are part of a local initiative under Operation Tara targeting drug supply into Wheatfield and Cloverhill Prisons. (irishtimes.com)
- otherDetectives seized drones, cash, a designer watch and several burner phones. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherA designer watch valued at €10,000 and several mobile phones were also seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe arrested man, aged 42, is detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe Irish Prison Service thanked gardaí for their efforts to keep drugs out of prisons. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 26 Feb2024Gardai arrest man over drone delivery of drugs into prisons
Reports the arrest of a 42-year-old man after a search of a home in west Dublin, with over €180,000, a designer watch and several mobile phones seized. Links the operation to an earlier drone seizure of diamorphine on 12 February 2024.
suspect, 42, male - 25 Feb2024Gardai smash criminal gang using drones to smuggle drugs into prison
First report of the Friday raid. Adds the seized items and cash, the gang's suspected method of flying drugs into Wheatfield and Cloverhill prisons, the claim that the operation targeted the Hutch gang, and the arrest and detention of a 42-year-old man. Other seizures mentioned in the article (€2 million in west Dublin, and a drone with heroin on 12 February) are separate incidents and are not recorded.
suspect, 42, male - 24 Feb2024Man arrested as part of investigation into use of drones to smuggle drugs into prison
Reports a search by the Drugs Unit in Ronanstown and an arrest on Friday 23 February 2024. It links the search to an earlier drone seizure of diamorphine on 12 February 2024 under Operation Tara.
suspect, 42, male - 24 Feb2024Man arrested as gardai seize cash, designer watch, and mobile phones in Dublin
Reports the arrest of a 42-year-old man after a search of a west Dublin home, with cash, a watch and phones seized, as part of a probe into drug supply to Dublin prisons.
suspect, 42, male - 1 Feb2024Operation Tara: Search and Arrest Operation in West Dublin, February 2024
Official Garda press release confirming the search, the seized items and the arrest, and linking the operation to an earlier seizure on 12 February 2024 involving a drone and diamorphine.
suspect, 42, male