Drugs situation has ‘never been worse’
By Maurice Garvey
THE drugs situation has “never been worse” than it is now, according to a senior garda.
Speaking at the Tallaght Policing Meeting last week, Chief Superintendent Lorraine Wheatley, who is based at Blanchardstown Garda Station, said recent garda operations have caused major disruption for high-level gangs.
Gardai have made a number of seizures
Chief Supt Wheatley said it was her personal opinion that the drugs situation has never been worse.
“There has been significant disruption to drug-dealing in the last number of years, a number of significant seizures,” said Chief Supt Wheatley.
“A lot of intelligence operations causing disruption at a higher level.”
Fianna Fáil TD, John Curran questioned why drug seizures statistics for the constituency were down in the first four months of 2018.
Chief Supt Wheatley said this was largely down to a diversion of resources to tackle high-level drug operations, further up the chain of command.
Meanwhile, theft from shops was the only crime category in Tallaght, to show a significant increase.
Over the first four months of 2018, there were 324 thefts from shops in the Tallaght district, compared to 253 in the corresponding period for 2017, according to figures presented at the policing meeting.
According to figures from the Health Research Board this week, the number of people being treated for cocaine addiction has risen by 60 per cent in three years.
CEO of Merchant’s Quay Ireland, Tony Geoghegan, said cocaiine is by far the most prevalent drug on the streets.
