Thursday 5 November 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. 29652Possession of drugs (cocaine, heroin, tablets); possession of contraband in prison · Co. Dublin · 12 Oct 2021

Man charged with possession of drugs in Dublin and Mountjoy Prison

A man in his 70s was stopped and searched by gardaí in the Dublin 1 area at around 10pm on 11 October 2021, when €310,000 worth of MDMA was seized. The following day, the Irish Prison Service's Operational Support Group found over €130,000 worth of cocaine, heroin and tablets, along with 15 phones and thousands of LSD tabs, hidden behind a sink in a cell on the C3 landing at Mountjoy Prison. Investigators believe the haul is linked to the Kinahan cartel, and it was the second Kinahan-linked seizure at the prison in a year. The man has since been charged in relation to the seizure, with the drugs sent to Forensic Science Ireland for examination.

  1. Reported13 Oct
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Charged13 Oct
  4. In court
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • €310,000 worth of MDMA was seized from a man in his 70s during a stop and search.
  • Over €130,000 worth of cocaine, heroin and tablets, 15 phones, and thousands of LSD tabs were seized at Mountjoy Prison.
Where
  • The stop and search took place in the Dublin 1 area.
  • The prison drugs were found in a cell on the C3 landing at Mountjoy Prison, with a large amount hidden behind a sink.
When
The stop and search occurred at around 10pm on 11 October 2021, and the prison search was carried out on 12 October 2021.
Investigation
  • The man was stopped and searched by gardaí, and the prison seizure was made by the Irish Prison Service's Operational Support Group acting on intelligence.
  • The Irish Prison Service is working with An Garda Síochána, and the seized drugs were sent to Forensic Science Ireland for examination.
Charges
The man has been charged in relation to the seizure.
Other details
  • Investigators believe the haul is linked to the Kinahan cartel.
  • It was the second Kinahan-linked stash seized at Mountjoy Prison in a year, following a November 2020 seizure of cocaine, pills, phones and whiskey smuggled in a delivery van.
19 statements extracted from the articles
  • what€310,000 worth of MDMA was seized. (rte.ie)
  • whatOver €130,000 worth of cocaine, heroin and tablets were seized at Mountjoy Prison. (irishmirror.ie)
  • what15 phones were also seized, including smart phones and mini phones. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThousands of LSD tabs and a huge amount of unidentified tablets were found. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe stop and search took place in the Dublin 1 area. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe drugs were found in a cell on the C3 landing at Mountjoy Prison. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereA large amount of the stash was hidden behind a sink. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe incident occurred at around 10pm on Monday night, 11 October 2021. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe drugs were discovered on Tuesday, 12 October 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe man was stopped and searched by gardaí. (rte.ie)
  • investigationThe seizure was made by the Irish Prison Service's Operational Support Group acting on intelligence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe Irish Prison Service is working with An Garda Síochána on the investigation. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationNo arrests had been made to date and inquiries were ongoing. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe seized drugs were with Forensic Science Ireland for examination. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe man has been charged in relation to the seizure. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe man is in his 70s. (rte.ie)
  • otherInvestigators believe the haul is linked to the Kinahan cartel. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherIt was the second time in a year that a Kinahan-linked stash was seized by prison chiefs. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherIn November of the previous year, cocaine, pills, mobile phones and whiskey were smuggled into Mountjoy in the back of a delivery van. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 13 Oct2021
    Reportedirishmirror.ie, its first report
    €130k of drugs 'linked to Kinahan mob' seized at Mountjoy Prison in cell search

    First report of the Mountjoy Prison drug seizure; details the location (C3 landing, behind a sink), the quantities, the phones and LSD tabs recovered, and the suspected Kinahan cartel link. No arrests made; investigation ongoing with FSI examining the drugs.

  2. 13 Oct2021
    Chargedrte.ie, first report
    Man arrested after €310k worth of MDMA seized in Dublin

    Initial report of the arrest and charging following the MDMA seizure.

    suspect, 70s, male