The law enforcement efforts being taken to prevent the cultivation of cannabis and the trading of prescription drugs. – Derek Keating
Response – Alan Shatter, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence
Thursday 18 October 2012
I am grateful to the Deputy for raising these matters.
The problem of drug misuse remains one of the most challenging and complex issues faced by modern society.
The Government’s overall approach to tackling the problem of drug misuse is being pursued in a co-ordinated and integrated way through the National Drugs Strategy 2009-2016.
Drugs law enforcement is one element of this response and is a key feature of our overall integrated approach.
I can inform the House that An Garda Síochána continues to prioritise organised crime and the sale and supply of drugs as a core focus for 2012, through the Garda Síochána Policing Plan. Work in this area is led out by the Garda National Drugs Unit which works closely with dedicated Divisional and District Drug Units on a nationwide basis, together with other national Garda units including the Organised Crime Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau.
Of course, An Garda Síochána also works in close cooperation with the Revenue Commissioners (Customs Service) and with other drug law enforcement agencies, such as the Irish Medicines Board. Furthermore An Garda Síochána has developed strong and strategic partnerships at international level.
This approach continues to yield significant results which I would like to acknowledge. For example, for the period January to August 2012, Garda figures indicate that a total of 11,263 drug offences were detected during that period, with 9,743 related arrests made.
Furthermore, with regard to drug seizures, drugs with an estimated value of €59.3m were recorded during the first six months of the year. This seizure data does not include a number of significant seizures made at the end of that six month period which remain the subject of further analysis.
For example, the figures do not include the largest ever inland seizure of cocaine in the jurisdiction which was made in the West Dublin and Kildare areas last June as part of a joint operation involving both the Gardaí and the Customs authorities.
As the Deputy has highlighted the drugs market and the consumption of drugs is a dynamic phenomenon and trends emerge from time to time – with users often trying different combinations of drugs, which sometimes involves the mixing of legal and illegal drugs, as well as various modes of consumption.
The emergence in recent times of large scale cannabis cultivation sites, the rise in the consumption of new psychoactive substances and the increasing illicit trade in medicines are particular features of the current drugs landscape we are facing at present.
Our drugs law enforcement authorities remain very cognisant of this and proactively tackle new features of the drugs trade as they emerge.
Operation Nitrogen is a Garda Síochána operation which continues to be very successful in identifying and dismantling cannabis cultivation sites across all areas of the country.
For example, during 2011 there were over 500 grow houses located under intelligence led operations resulting in over 26,000 cannabis plants with an estimated value of €10.5m being seized. This remains a key focus of An Garda Síochána drug enforcement efforts and recent successes in this respect include the detection of major cannabis production sites in Navan Co, Meath and in Malin Co.Donegal with related arrests having being made.
The Deputy also drew particular attention to the emerging problems we are seeing with the illegal trade in prescription drugs which has been acknowledged as an increasing problem being experienced across the country.
Again our law enforcement agencies are vigorously responding to this problem as demonstrated by the recent successes achieved by the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), Revenue’s Customs Service and An Garda Síochána through their involvement in Operation Pangea V.
This Interpol led Operation, which was conducted from 25 September to 2 October 2012, involved an international week of law enforcement action targeting the online sale of counterfeit and illegal medicines. In Ireland, the joint operation by the IMB, Customs and Gardaí led to the detention of over 120,000 tablets/capsules with an estimated value in excess of €375,000. The number of packages detained during the operation in Ireland by Customs was 282. In total, 11 search warrants were executed which also resulted in four arrests being made by An Garda Síochána. The substances seized included products for weight loss and erectile dysfunction as well as mood stabilisers.
In concluding, I would like to assure the House of the continued commitment of An Garda Síochána, in cooperation with law enforcement colleagues, to tackling the illegal trade in drugs.