Recreational drug use supports organised crime, Garda says

“We are aware of people who sell houses, take out significant loans, sell cars, or have had cars taken off them by local drug gangs to meet debts, and debts never go away.”

By May this year, Leitrim Gardaí had arrested 52 people for drug-related offences, including 16 for possession with intent to supply, while seizing more than €53,000 worth of illegal drugs.

The figure is already close to the total for all of last year, when €78,000 worth of drugs were seized.

“The amount of drugs available in the country 25 years ago was significantly less than it is now,” said Detective Ray Mullderrig, who spoke to the Leitrim Observer about the drug situation in the county.

Detective Ray Mullderrig is currently the inspector with responsibility for Drug Enforcement at Carrick-on-Shannon Garda Station in the Sligo-Leitrim division.

Drug use in Ireland has increased in recent years and, according to a report from the European Union Drugs Agency, the country is among the highest users of cocaine in the EU, and the highest among those aged 15–35.

“We arrest people for public order offences, we find them in possession of drugs, but we also find that these people have responsible professions,” said Mullderrig.

“The person who takes his so-called recreational line of cocaine at the weekend is supporting organised crime,” he said, adding that all illegal drugs support crime.

Mullderrig believes several factors are driving increased drug use, including supply levels, relative affordability compared with alcohol and changing societal attitudes.

“Society in Ireland at the moment regards the taking of drugs as recreational,” said Mullderrig.

Gardaí say there is no shortage of routes through which illegal drugs enter the country. Cocaine, cannabis and heroin are smuggled through car parts, human bodies, by boats at sea and through the postal system.

Illegal substances arrive from South America, North Africa, the United States, the Middle East and other European countries before being distributed to towns and villages across Ireland.

Gardaí have increased policing of organised crime groups in the area since the introduction of their organised crime strategy in 2019.

“We tackle organised crime at every level,” said Mullderrig. “whether it’s on the street, whether it’s drug driving, whether it is intimidating witnesses, whether it’s criminal damage – right up to and including directing a criminal organisation, a very, very rare charge.”

The nature of drug demand in Ireland is that when one group is taken down, another will take its place. Gardaí are currently targeting groups operating in Longford and Sligo, as well as smaller groups in Leitrim.

Gardaí have seen an increase in crimes linked to drug groups in the area. However, they have not seen a rise in reports of drug-related intimidation arising from drug debts, although they believe such incidents are occurring and that victims may be afraid to come forward.

“We are aware of people who sell houses, take out significant loans, sell cars, have had cars taken off them by local drugs gangs to meet debts, and debts never go away.”

Mullderrig stressed that contact can be made with Gardaí discreetly and that a range of supports is available to victims of intimidation, even if they do not wish to make an official statement.

If they do decide to make a statement, he said Gardaí can take further action.

“If somebody does say that I am the subject of drug-related intimidation, we will go the whole hog,” said Mullderrig.

“We are very, very strong in this division in taking action against people who threaten or intimidate state witnesses. We prosecute.

“Drug-related intimidation is probably one of the simplest crimes to prosecute … the victim and the suspect are known to each other, and there will usually be communications between them, phones, et cetera.”