This article is from page 18 of the 2011-09-06 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 18 JPG
GARDAÍ are investigating the seizure of four kilos of methadrone, a heroin substitute, in two connected hauls over the weekend. The total value of the drug is almost € 175,000.
The first two kilos was seized by gardaí during the search of a car on the Tulla Road in Ennis last Thursday afternoon.
In a follow-up search, another two kilos of the drug was seized in a bog in the Ballymaley area on Saturday evening. The drugs discovered in each seizure is valued at approximately € 87,000, according to gardaí.
A man in his 40s, from county Clare, was arrested at the scene on Thursday. He was detained at Ennis Garda Station, before being released without charge on Saturday evening. A file is being prepared by gardaí for the DPP’s office.
Gardaí say that the amount of this type of drug – which was sold in the head shops nationwide prior to their closure last year – is significant.
The head of the Clare Garda Division Chief Superintendent John Kerin said gardaí are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the seizures of the cheaper substitute for heroin.
“This is the first significant seizure in Clare and we are not aware of too many of them around the country. It’s unusual in this regard,” he said. He described the amount seized as “surprising”. “It is a substitute for heroin and is very addictive. The amount found is quite surprising. We would never have come across anything of this nature previously,” he said. “People of any age group who are sampling them are likely to get addicted. People were using them and there were all kinds of bad reactions to them and they have led to the commission of crime. It has serious side effects and has been known to be involved in the commission of crime, criminal damage and attempted suicide,” he said. “They can be even more addictive than heroin and cocaine,” he said. “We are delighted to take it off the streets. It’s worrying that we have a quantity like this,” he said. This significant seizure follows six seizures of small quantities of the drug from individuals during random searches by gardaí in recent months.