Ireland Two Chinese men arrested after €700,000 cannabis and cocaine seized in Dublin 1
Two Chinese men were arrested after the Coolock Drugs Unit seized cannabis and cocaine worth over €700,000 from a car and two residential properties in the Dublin 1 area on 28 February 2026, as part of Operation Tara. The men are suspected of being involved in a network supplying gangs across Ireland with cannabis and cocaine.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested28 Feb
3 reports - Charged28 Feb
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports40 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe two men arrested are aged in their 20s and 30s (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí seized drugs worth in excess of €700,000 and arrested two individuals (garda.ie)
- whatCannabis valued at €100,000 was recovered from the car (garda.ie)
- whatA male aged in his 20s was arrested at the scene (garda.ie)
- whatCannabis valued at €551,000 was seized from the properties (garda.ie)
- whatCocaine valued at €70,000 was seized from the properties (garda.ie)
- whatTwo sums of cash were seized: £33,000 sterling and in excess of €4,000 euro (garda.ie)
- whatA second male aged in his 30s was arrested (garda.ie)
- whatGardaí seized more than €700,000 worth of drugs and arrested two people in Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whatCannabis worth €100,000 was found in the car. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe driver, a man in his 20s, was arrested. (irishtimes.com)
- whatFollow-up searches were conducted at two homes nearby. (irishtimes.com)
- what£33,000 in UK sterling and €4,000 in cash were seized. (irishtimes.com)
- whatA man in his 30s was arrested at the follow-up searches. (irishtimes.com)
- whatTwo Chinese men were arrested in connection with the drug seizure. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe men are suspected of supplying gangs across Ireland with cannabis and cocaine. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCannabis valued at €100,000 was recovered from the intercepted car. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man in his 20s was arrested at the scene of the car stop. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCannabis valued at €551,000 was seized from the residential properties. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCocaine valued at €70,000 was seized from the residential properties. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatCash of £33,000 sterling and in excess of €4,000 euro was seized. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man in his 30s was arrested after the property searches. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGardaí from the Drugs Unit at Coolock intercepted a car in the Dublin 1 area shortly after 3:30pm (garda.ie)
- whereFollow-up searches were conducted at two residential properties in the Dublin 1 area (garda.ie)
- whereOfficers from the Drugs Unit in Coolock stopped a car in the Dublin 1 area. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe seizure took place in the Dublin 1 area, central Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereTwo residential properties in the Dublin 1 area were searched. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe operation took place on Saturday, 28 February 2026 (garda.ie)
- whenThe car was stopped shortly after 3.30pm on Saturday. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe car was intercepted shortly after 3:30pm on Saturday 28 February 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationBoth men are detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996 at a Garda station in the Dublin region (garda.ie)
- investigationAll seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for examination (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe men are being held under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996, at a Dublin Garda station. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe drugs will be sent for technical examination by Forensic Science Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationBoth suspects are detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe seizure was part of Operation Tara, a long-running Garda probe targeting drugs gangs. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe seizure was made by officers from the Drugs Unit based at Coolock station. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe two men have been charged (garda.ie)
- courtBoth men are scheduled to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice, Court No. 4, at 10:30am on 2 March 2026 (garda.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 2 Mar2026Gardai arrest two foreign men suspected of supplying Irish gangs with drugs
Initial arrest report; two Chinese men detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 after drugs worth over €700,000 were seized from a car and two residential properties in Dublin 1 during Operation Tara.
suspect, 20s, male, Chinese, non-irishsuspect, 30s, male, Chinese, non-irish - 1 Mar2026Two arrested and over €700,000 worth of drugs seized in Dublin operation
Initial report of the Drugs Unit operation, arrests and seizure details.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 30s, male - 28 Feb2026Operation Tara – Over €700,000 Drugs Seized, Two Arrests in Dublin, 28th February 2026
Official Garda press release providing specific values of drugs seized (€100,000 cannabis from car, €551,000 cannabis and €70,000 cocaine from properties), cash amounts (£33,000 sterling and over €4,000 euro), and confirming both men are detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 30s, male - 28 Feb2026Court Appearance: Operation Tara – Over €700,000 Drugs Seized, Two Arrests in Dublin, 28th February 2026
Confirms the two men have been charged and provides their court appearance details: Criminal Courts of Justice, Court No. 4, 10:30am, Monday 2 March 2026. Investigations are ongoing.
accused, 20s, maleaccused, 30s, male