Three people have been charged by gardaí following the seizure of cocaine and cannabis with a value of €900,000 in Co Louth. An animal transport truck and a high-powered car were also seized.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) intercepted the animal transport truck along with the car at approximately 1am near Ardee on Sunday morning, 15 December.

In a statement, gardaí said the operation was carried out as part of ongoing intelligence-led investigations targeted suspected facilitators of drug trafficking into the Irish jurisdiction.

Charges

Two men, aged 41 and 33, and one woman, aged 33 years, were arrested and questioned at Dundalk and Ashbourne Garda Stations under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.

On Tuesday morning, 17 December, the three people involved were charged and were due to appear before Drogheda District Court at 10.30am.

Following the seizure, gardaí carried out searches at locations in Leixlip, Co Kildare, and Ballyshannon, Co Donegal. A vacuum-packing machine and €8,000 in cash were seized during these searches.

JATF

The operation is associated with the Joint Agency Task Force (JATF). It comprises the Police Service of Northern Ireland, An Garda Síochána, HM Revenue & Customs, the Revenue Commissioners, the Home Office Immigration Enforcement, the Criminal Assets Bureau and the National Crime Agency.

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