Cannabis and cocaine were the top two drugs seized by Tipperary gardaí last year

Gardaí seized more than €564,000 worth of illegal drugs in searches they carried out throughout the county last year with cannabis herb and cocaine the top two drugs seized.

That’s according to illegal drugs seizures figures Tipperary/Clare Garda Division Chief Supt. Aileen Magner presented to the quarterly meeting of Tipperary Joint Policing Committee.

A total of €240,000 worth of cannabis herb was seized, which translates to 42.5% of the total drugs seizures in the county with Cahir and Tipperary Garda District reporting the biggest seizures of this drug.

Cahir district gardaí confiscated €80,985 worth of the illegal herb while Tipperary district officers seized €68,586 worth of the drug.

Gardaí seized €71,652 worth of cannabis resin, oil and plants across all five districts which means cannabis in all its form accounted for 55.27% of the county's drugs seizures in 2023.

A total of €163,524 worth of cocaine was seized by gardaí in searches throughout the county or which €117,635 worth of the drug was seized in the Nenagh District.

A single seizure of €96,740 worth of the drug during a search of a house in the Nenagh area on December 6 last year accounted for the majority of this high total.

Clonmel Garda District recorded the county’s second highest tally of cocaine seizures - €23,719 along with €17,260 worth of crack cocaine.

A much lower quantity of heroin was seized across the five districts with Thurles recording the highest quantity valued at €17,764 followed by Clonmel District where €2,055 worth of the drug was seized.

There were no heroin seizures in the Tipperary Garda District.

In the south of the county, the highest value of drugs was seized in Tipperary Garda District (€126, 443), followed by the Cahir Garda District that includes Cashel at €85,275.

The €77,659 worth of drugs seized in Clonmel Garda District was the lowest in value across the county’s five garda district.

However, Clonmel district's officers seized the highest variety of drugs indicating that while the value was the lowest the number of individual seizures was the highest in the county.

There were seizures of Amphetamine, Benzodiazepines, cannabis herb, cannabis oil, cannabis plant, cannabis resin, cocaine, crack cocaine, Ecstasy, heroin, and ketamine in Clonmel Garda District that also encompassed Carrick-on-Suir and Fethard

Seizures of €34,770 worth of Amphetamine, €65,586 worth of cannabis and €14,270 worth of cocaine to Tipperary Garda District recording the highest quantity and value of drugs seizures in south Tipperary last year.

Meanwhile, the €80,985 worth of cannabis herb seized in Cahir Garda District last year accounted for 95% of that district’s overall €85,275 worth drugs seizures for 2023.

Chief Supt. Magner told the JPC members that gardaí throughout Tipperary worked very hard to combat drugs crime but pointed out they need assistance from the public in their efforts to combat this scourge.