Gardai have made a significant drug seizure as a result of an investigation into the sale and supply of controlled substances on the ‘dark net’, an encrypted layer of the internet.

An Irish vendor was identified following surveillance by gardai in recent weeks and at 1.50pm on Wednesday afternoon members from Garda National Drug Unit, the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) and the Computer Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) searched a premises on the South Circular Road, Dublin 8.

Gardai discovered ecstasy tablets (MDMA), lysergic acid (LSD) and other drugs.

During the course of the search Ecstasy tablets (MDMA), Lysergic Acid (LSD) and other controlled drugs to value €180,000 was seized.

Two men in their 30s were arrested at the scene. They are detained at Kevin Street and Kilmainham Garda stations under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act, 1996.

Gardai say they believe the operation at the Dublin 8 premises was a worldwide distribution.

There was a follow up search at a location in Harold’s Cross, Dublin 6. This recovered a smaller amount of drugs, as well as documentation relating to off shore bank accounts in Switzerland, Belize, Poland and a number of other countries.

This operation is part of “an international day of action to disrupt global activity on the Darknet and remove certain websites and forums is to conclude within the next 24 hours under the FBI/Europol operation codenamed Onymous,” according to a Garda statement.

Gardai preserved data on a number of encrypted computers.

“With the invaluable assistance of the CAB and CCIU a number of computers were safely retrieved with accessible information immediately at the time of entry on this search. At this time analysis is continuing with regard to storage of electro currency (Bitcoin) and CAB have already seized certain currency assets,” the Garda statement said.

Gardai believe the arrest and retrieval of “an encrypted but open computer with address lists for customers all over the world” will prove to be “of significant interest to many global law enforcement agencies who specialise in Darknet investigations.”