Two men arrested in probe into criminal gang smuggling drugs into prisons
An investigation into a suspected criminal group smuggling controlled drugs and contraband into Irish prisons was launched more than a year before September 2026, targeting Wheatfield, Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons in Dublin. In April 2025, searches at properties in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght and at Mountjoy Prison cells seized miniature phones, drugs worth over €25,000, €22,000 in cash, a drone and other items. On 7 September 2026, a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were arrested, and on 28 September 2026, two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested; six people have been arrested to date. The investigation remains ongoing with no charges or court appearances reported.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested7 Sep
3 reports - Charged
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- The investigation concerns a suspected criminal group smuggling controlled drugs and contraband into Irish prisons.
- In April 2025, searches at properties in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght and at Mountjoy Prison cells seized miniature phones, €17,000 cannabis, €5,000 cocaine, €3,000 tablets, €22,000 cash, a drone, a Rolex watch, mobile phones, financial documents, improvised weapons and drug paraphernalia.
- Where
- The investigation targets smuggling into Wheatfield, Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons in Dublin.
- When
- The investigation was launched more than a year before September 2026.
- Investigation
- The April 2025 searches were conducted by the DMR South Serious Crime Unit with assistance from the Dublin Crime Response Team and the Irish Prison Service.
- On 7 September 2026, a man and a woman, both in their 20s, were arrested and detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007.
- On 28 September 2026, two men, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
- The arrests were made by gardaí attached to Crime South based at Lucan and Ronanstown Stations.
- Six people have been arrested to date in the investigation.
- Investigations remain ongoing with no charges or court appearances reported.
27 statements extracted from the articles
- whatTwo people were arrested in connection with a suspected criminal group associated with smuggling controlled drugs and contraband into Irish prisons. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe arrested individuals are a male and a female, both in their 20s. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMiniature phones wrapped in insulation tape ready to be sent by drone to the prisons were seized in April 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- what€17,000 worth of cannabis, €5,000 cocaine and €3,000 tablets were seized in April 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- what€22,000 in cash, a drone, a Rolex watch, mobile phones, financial documents, improvised weapons and drug paraphernalia were seized in April 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatTwo males, aged in their 30s and 40s, were arrested. (garda.ie)
- whatThe investigation concerns a criminal group smuggling controlled drugs and contraband into prison facilities. (garda.ie)
- whatTwo men were arrested as part of ongoing investigations into a criminal group smuggling controlled drugs and contraband into prison facilities (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe men are aged in their 30s and 40s (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe arrests were made by officers based at Lucan and Ronanstown stations. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe investigation targets smuggling into Wheatfield, Cloverhill and Mountjoy Prisons. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereIn April 2025, searches were carried out at properties in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereSearches of a number of cells in Mountjoy Prison were also carried out in April 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe two men are detained at stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. (garda.ie)
- whenThe arrests followed a search operation conducted on Monday 7 September 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe arrests took place on Monday 28 September 2026. (garda.ie)
- whenThe men were arrested on Monday morning, 28 September 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe pair are detained under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007 at a Garda Station in the Dublin Region for up to seven days. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe investigation was launched more than a year ago in connection with smuggling into some of Ireland's biggest prisons. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe April 2025 searches were conducted by DMR South Serious Crime Unit with assistance from the Dublin Crime Response Team and the Irish Prison Service. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe arrests were made by gardaí attached to Crime South based at Lucan and Ronanstown Stations. (garda.ie)
- investigationThe men are detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984. (garda.ie)
- investigationSix people have been arrested to date in the investigation. (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations remain ongoing. (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe men were arrested by gardaí attached to Crime South based at Lucan and Ronanstown Stations (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe men are detained at stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationSix people have been arrested to date as part of the investigation (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 29 Sep2026Two arrested in probe into criminal gang smuggling drugs into prisons
Reports two new arrests (men in 30s and 40s) in an ongoing investigation into a criminal group smuggling drugs and contraband into prisons; six arrests total to date.
suspect, 30s, malesuspect, 40s, male - 28 Sep202628/09/2026 Update (2) - An Garda Síochána Investigation into Smuggling of Controlled Drugs and Contraband into Irish Prisons
Confirms the arrest of two males in their 30s and 40s on 28 September 2026, their detention under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, and that six people have been arrested to date in the investigation.
suspect, 30s, malesuspect, 40s, male - 7 Sep2026Gardaí arrest two people as part of investigation into Irish prison smuggling
Reports new arrests (a male and a female, both in their 20s) on 7 September 2026 in the same prison smuggling investigation, and provides background on the April 2025 search operation that seized miniature phones, drugs, cash, a drone, a Rolex watch and other items from properties in Clondalkin, Ballyfermot, Coolock and Tallaght and from Mountjoy Prison cells.
suspect, 20s, malesuspect, 20s, female