West Cork house fire led to drug seizures worth €100,000
A house fire in West Cork led gardaí to the seizures of over €100,000 worth of cannabis in the region.
Two people have been arrested following the developments, which come as part of an ongoing garda operation investigating the cultivation of drugs in the West Cork Garda Division.
On October 30 last, gardaí were called to the scene of a house fire in Tullyland, Bandon, Co Cork.
However, when they searched the house investigating gardaí discovered a grow house containing €46,600 worth of cannabis plants and €8,400 worth of cannabis herb.
The focus of the garda investigation then moved to Ballinhassig, north of Bandon, where further searches uncovered more illegal substances.
On Thursday, gardaí from the Divisional Drugs Unit in Bandon executed search warrants at three properties in the Ballinhassig area.
A second grow house was discovered at one of these addresses.
It contained cannabis plants which, gardaí said, have a potential street value of €47,000.
A man in his 30s and a woman in her 20s were arrested as part of the investigation.
They were detained at Bandon and Clonakility Garda Stations under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
Gardai said all of the drugs seized will now be sent for analysis.
It is the second drug seizure with an estimated value in excess of €100,000 to be seized in Cork in the past month.
In a separate investigation, a planned search of two houses in Passage West last Friday, November 9 uncovered a quantity of cannabis resin, ecstasy tablets, cannabis herb and cocaine with an estimated street value of €180,000.
Two men in their mid 50s and late 40s were arrested at the scene by investigating gardaí and detained at Bridewell Garda Station.
They were subsequently released without charge, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
