Irish police seize more than 250 pounds of weed

Police in the Republic of Ireland announced this week that law enforcement officers have seized more than 250 pounds of cannabis as part of an ongoing effort to crack down on organized crime activity in the Dublin area. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Garda (Irish national police) said the seizure led to the arrest of two men who are being held pending further investigation.

The seizure came as part of an ongoing investigation into Operation Tara, a Garda campaign to fight serious organized crime in the Dublin area. On Monday officers intercepted two vehicles in Tallaght, a suburb of the capital, leading to a search of a house in nearby Knocklyon. The action resulted in the seizure of about 120 kilograms (nearly 265 pounds) of cannabis, which law enforcement says has an estimated street value of more than €2 million (more than $2.1 million).

“Personnel from the Garda National Drugs & Organized Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), assisted by the Special Crime Task Force (SCTF), intercepted two vehicles in the Tallaght area and searched a residential address in the Knocklyon area,” a Garda said -Speaker in a statement to the media. “During these searches, 120 kg of herbal cannabis was seized with an estimated street value of €2.4 million.”

Police found that two men in their 40s had been arrested in connection with the seizure of the illegal cannabis. The men are currently being held on suspicion of drug trafficking pending investigations. The weeds confiscated in the operation were sent to a laboratory for further analysis.

Courtesy of Lake Garda

The public is pushing back on the ban

The Garda publicized the seizure on social media, noting in a Twitter post that the agency is “#KeepingPeopleSafe.” But other users on the platform questioned the public safety value of the police operation.

“Safe from what?” asked one Twitter user. “That would [have] When a bunch of guys go to the shops for kibbles after a few joints, do we really need to protect ourselves from that, or do you think there are bigger and more serious crimes we should be protected from first?

On social media, people also commented back on the estimated street value of the cannabis seized provided by law enforcement, suggesting that the figure given is 10 times the actual value of the weed seized.

“In Canada, where cannabis is legal, regulated and taxed, that 120kg would be worth around CAD$400,000 and 5% of that would have gone to the government as a tax,” commented one Twitter user. “It’s also packaged a lot better! CAD$400,000 is about €250,000 or 10% of this valuation.”

Cannabis legalization bill under consideration

This week’s seizure of illegal marijuana in Ireland comes amid renewed debate over cannabis prohibition in the country. Late last year, Gino Kenny, a lawmaker known as Teachta Dála (TD) and a member of Ireland’s People Before Profit political party, proposed legislation legalizing the possession of up to seven grams of cannabis and 2.5 grams of cannabis concentrates for personal use would use.

“The bill is quite moderate. It changes existing laws that date back 42 years,” Kenny said during a November debate in Dáil Éireann, the lower house of Ireland’s parliament. “42 years is a very long time. I believe that the existing legislation is outdated and outdated. We need a different narrative around drug reform.”

“I hope the government can support this legislation,” he continued. “It’s contemporary. Different parts of the world are exploring different models that do not criminalize people and take a harm reduction approach. I look forward to the debate.”