Man arrested as gardaí seize cocaine at Newtownforbes checkpoint

The man was detained at Longford Garda Station after around €7,500 worth of cocaine was recovered from a car which had been stopped at a checkpoint in Newtownforbes.

The incident allegedly occurred shortly before 10am last Saturday as part of Operation Fanacht-a dedicated garda offensive aimed at ensuring compliance with the State's Level 5 lockdown restrictions.

It's understood the man, who is in his mid 20s and from the North West of the country, was the only occupant of the car when it was stopped.

He was later released without charge ahead of a file being sent to the DPP's office in Dublin.

The drugs seized have, meanwhile, been dispatched for further analysis as part of the investigation.