Two charged after €1.29m drugs seizure

Image source, An Garda Síochána

Image caption, The drugs were seized during a planned search in County Kildare

Gardaí (Irish police) have seized drugs with an estimated value of €1.29m (£1.1m) during searches in a large rural site in County Kildare on Monday.

Two men, aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested at the scene and subsequently charged.

They are due to appear at the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin on Wednesday.

Officers seized 16kg of suspected cocaine, 3kg of cannabis herb and 800g of suspected heroin.

The searches were conducted under warrant as part of a wider investigation into the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the west Dublin area.

Image source, An Garda Síochána

Image caption, A mobile drugs press was also seized by police officers

A mobile drug pressing unit, built into a box lorry, was also seized by Gardaí.

This included a hydraulic press, ovens, vacuum packing equipment and bagging and approximately 135kg of mixing agent.

A number of follow-up searches have taken place in Dublin and Kildare, resulting in further small quantities of drugs being located and seized.