Postal Service Don't Make Hash Of Drug Imports

Cannabis shipments, worth almost half a million euros have been intercepted by customs officers after arriving in the country by post.

A total of €480,000 was discovered from several different sources. Four parcels arrived from South Africa into the Portlaoise mail depot marked as “personal effects.” Officers became suspicious and the four boxes were found to contain 42kgs of herbal cannabis after examination in an X-Ray machine.

All four parcels were bound for the same address in Waterford city, and contained large slabs of cannabis worth €420,000 wrapped in PVC and newspapers.

Garda and Customs officers in a combined operation preformed a “controlled delivery” of the drugs to the Waterford address. A 28-year-old Irish man was subsequently arrested when he took possession of the drugs.

Two other parcels that were posted from Poland were discovered in Dublin Airport by a customs drug-detecting dog. Inside was 6kgs of herbal cannabis and 0.25kgs of cannabis resin with a street value of about €60,000.

Another controlled delivery, this time to a small village in Co Westmeath, resulted in the arrest of three Polish men in their 20s. They are being questioned at Mullingar garda station. A spokesman for the Revenue said last night that it was very unusual for such large consignments of drugs to arrive in the post.

(DW)