The seizure of 8.4 million euro’s worth of cocaine flown into Longford is a huge victory for the Garda Drugs Task Force.
That’s according to local councillor Seamus Butler who says while there’s no silver bullet to tackling the importation of drugs, this recent discovery shows criminals must find new modes to feed criminal activity.
Two cars were also stopped and searched in the Lough Owel area of Co. Westmeath shortly after 6pm on Thursday evening with follow up searches in Naas and Waterford City.
In one of the cars they found six holdalls and one suitcase, with 120kg of cocaine wrapped in green tape, which is estimated to be worth €8.4m.
The drugs were produced in South America and smuggled into Europe.
They were flown to Ireland yesterday in a Cessna light aircraft from france before they were transferred to a waiting car.
The light aircraft which landed at a local airfield was also seized.
It's believed the seizure may be linked to the Kinahan organised crime group.
Two men in their 40’s and 50’s are being questioned on suspicion of drug-trafficking and are being detained at Ashbourne Garda Station.
The Fianna Fail representative is also the Vice Chair of the Longford Community Safety Partnership, he says the issue of illegal substances is always on the agenda.
''It's in every community in the country, but it's also in communities in Longford. It's our set aim to eliminate as much drugs as possible because of the misery they cause. This must have been subject to a lot of intelligence and a lot of background work, because this shipment was monitored from wherever it came, which I assume is outside the country, and you're really talking about an international operation.''
