[vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]The recent drug seizure in Liffey Valley is further evidence the sale and supply of narcotics in Ireland is not slowing down.
This is according to Dublin Mid-West Fianna Fáil TD John Curran who also said the seizure last Thursday of cocaine worth €3.43m reassures the public “work is ongoing in the fight to defeat organised and drug related crime in our urban communities”.
The operation was a joint effort carried out by the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau and the Special Crime Task Force.
According to assistant commissioner for Special Crime Operations, John O’Driscoll, two cars had parked up at Liffey Valley in north Clondalkin at around 7.30pm last Thursday.
A handover of cocaine between the two vehicles was intercepted by gardai.
The car park is not connected to Liffey Valley Shopping Centre, and is located nearer to Clondalkin.
One of the cars had an Irish number plate while the other had Dutch plates.
The garda units arrested four people: A Dutch man Bernardus Jozef Scherrenberg, 47 and his girlfriend 39-year-old Sugeidys Huve in one car and two Irish men, Wayne Duffy 45, Deerhaven Close in Clonee, and Darren Coughlan, 46, with an address at Ferryhouse Road, Dunboyne, in the other.
The cocaine was contained in plastic tubs and AC O’Driscoll said their allegation is the two people in the Dutch car were in possession of the drugs and were transferring the plastic tubs to the other people.
All four appeared in court on Saturday with Huve and Scherrenberg charged under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
They were remanded to appear in court again on Wednesday, December 12th.
Wayne Duffy, was charged under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act and was also remanded to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday.
Darren Coughlan was also charged under section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Garda Darren Caller of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau told the court that he objected to bail due to the seriousness of the offence.
Judge Murphy refused bail and remanded the man in custody to appear before Cloverhill District Court on Friday, 14 December.
Deputy Curran, who is the newly appointed Fianna Fail spokesperson on National Drugs Strategy and Urban Affairs said:
“Most recreational users conveniently ignore the broader impact of their drug use and its direct links to criminality.
“Recent hauls in other urban centres such as Cork and Limerick demonstrate that curtailing the flow of drugs into and around Ireland requires huge resources, co-ordination, manpower and even greater intelligence sharing with international colleagues.
“Local drug units operating within An Garda Siochana in communities across the country should be given every State support to continue to intercept hauls of this size to obstruct the sale of drugs on our streets,” he concluded.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
