Dublin Opinion

A report has just come through of a drugs seizure in Loughlinstown (6/1/07). Millions of euros in drugs have been discovered by the Gardai in raids across the country in the past six months, but apparently there’s never any cash at the scene. There is, quite literally, no money in drugs in Ireland.

According to the Garda Press Office, out of the following raids, only two contained (undisclosed) amounts of cash. From the guards’ own reports, it appears that Ireland’s drug dealers have transformed themselves into a cashless economy.

November 2006, cocaine to the value of €77,000 was seized in a planned search of a residence at Lambay Close, Ballybrack, Co. Dublin. No cash recovered.

28 November – Cork. Drug seizure valued at €18,000. No cash recovered. The same morning, a second seizure happened at Monaghan Road and resulted in the seizure of cocaine and the arrest of a 24 year old man. Potential street value of €140,000, again no cash listed as recovered.

19 November 2006 – Ennis. Drug seizure valued at €50,000. All ecstasy tablets, No cash recovered.

11 November 2006 – Fermoy. Drug raid finds cocaine valued at €50,000. No cash recovered.

3 November 2006 – Heroin seized in Dublin. Valued at €110,000. No cash recovered.

27 October 2006 – Abbeyleix. Cocaine with street value of €35,000 seized. No cash recovered.

14 October 2006 – Swords. Heroin valued at €320,000. No cash recovered.

14 October 2006 – Heroin valued at €2,000,000 is seized in Clondalkin. A quantity of cash was also recovered.

14 September 2006 – Rush/Lusk area. Drugs valued at €500,000 seized. A large quantity of cash was also recovered.

5 August 2006 – Heroin seized in Clondalkin. Valued at €450,000. No cash recovered.

August 2006 (no date given) – Drugs seized in Ballyfermot. Valued at €20,000. No cash recovered.

14 July 2006 – Drugs valued at €4,000,000 seized in Clare. No cash recovered.

Where’s the money? Have drugs dealers, along with the supermarkets, transferred over to CHIP and PIN? Is the drug scene in Ireland one now based on trust? Have the dealers and pushers achieved within their fiefdoms the anarcho-syndicalist utopia? Any suggestions greatly received.