Gardai have arrested 8 men and seized cannabis plants with an estimated street value of €4.6 million in a series of coordinated searches at 6 locations around the country.
The searches took place in counties Louth, Mayo, Dublin, Wexford, Westmeath and Longford within the last 24 hours.
These searches form part of Operation Nitrogen led by the Garda National Drugs Unit working in co-operation with local gardai.
In total 5,800 plants were recovered during the operation which are thought to be worth around €4.6 million pending analysis.
Cross-country searches
4 men were arrested after Gardaí searched an industrial unit on the Connaught Road in Co. Longford where 1,700 canabis plants were found.
A further 1,000 plants were discovered at an industrial unit at Cornafulla, Athlone in Co. Westmeath and one man was detained there.
Two more men were arrested at an industrial premises in Drogheda Business Park, Co. Louth, where another 1,600 plants were seized.
In Campile, Co. Wexford a commercial property was searched by officers who uncovered 1,000 plants and detained one man.
A number of items were also seized at a house in Foxborough Hall, Lucan in Co. Dublin, while a further search at an industrial unit in Kiltimagh, Co. Mayo turned up 500 canabis plant.
However no arrests were made during this search.
Gardaí say investigations are on-going.
