Heroin dealers in the south-east region were targeted yesterday by 70 Gardai involved in a year-long surveillance operation organised to avert drug dealing in the region.
Some 14 people were arrested following the swoops on over 40 premises in the Carlow Town area and they were taken to Garda stations in Kilkenny, Carlow, Thomastown and Athy for questioning under Section 2 of the Drugs Trafficking Act.
It is understood that at least three of the arrested are female while the suspects range in ages from mid 20s to mid 60s.
The arrests followed months of surveillance and undercover Garda work which saw Gardai posing as drug addicts seeking heroin from the dealers.
Supt Gerry Redmond told the media yesterday afternoon that the operation was very successful and that those arrested would now appear before the courts for heroin-supplying offences.
Gardai from the South Eastern Regional Drugs Unit supported by the Garda National Drugs Unit were involved in the swoops and in the prior month’s operation targeting the sale and supply of heroin in the south-east region.
This is understood to be one of the single biggest Garda operations in the south-east of the country in years.
Speaking to the Kilkenny Advertiser yesterday afternoon following the morning’s dramatic events, Cllr Joe Malone who has a diploma in addiction studies and who works very closely with young people with drug problems in Kilkenny said that this is good news for the whole of the south east region.
“It can only be good if the dealers are caught. It means that they are off the streets. It doesn’t mean that they are gone forever and won’t be replaced but for now the streets are a safer place.”
However, he pointed out that there is no point taking dealers off the streets unless something is done to help those that are addicted to heroin.
“We need more services and beds for heroin addicts in Kilkenny. We need access to local services and we need a drop-in centre for addicts and all of this is just for starters.
“There are children as young as eight years old taking heroin in Kilkenny and the problem is widespread and not just in particular housing estates, contrary to popular belief.
“There are over 100 heroin addicts in the county of Kilkenny. We need to begin educating our children on the horrors of drug addiction so that this figure does not increase. We need to actively steer young people away from drugs.”
Cllr Malone sees the devastation caused by drug addiction in homes, schools and clubs every day in his role as community drugs activist. And he is well aware of the dangers of heroin. However, he also pointed out that now there is a new drug taking off in Kilkenny.
“Prescription drugs are now rampant in Kilkenny. If addicts can’t get heroin or cocaine they will resort to valium or other such drugs which they can readily get. They can also sell them and make a lucrative profit to enable themselves to buy heroin.”
Cllr Malone warned, “we can’t take our eye off the ball — this is not going away and although 11 of the dealers have been taken off the streets this weekend — don’t think that there are not others just waiting to step into their shoes.”
