Gardai given more time to quiz suspects in relation to massive crystal meth seizure

Gardai have been granted a final 48 hours to question two men in relation to the massive seizure of almost €33m worth of crystal meth.

Gardai placed a ring of steel and maintained a large presence around Tralee District Court on Wednesday – as the two men were brought there so that officers could ask a Judge to further extend their period of detention.

The men are being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act, 2007 – which deals with allegations associated with organised crime – and comes following the shocking discovery of the meth – which has been linked to the Mexican Sinaloa cartel.

READ MORE – Probe into €32.8m crystal meth seizure extends to three counties as Gardai continue to quiz two suspects

Solicitors for both men told the court that they were objecting to a further detention – having been questioned by gardai since their arrest last Friday.

Judge David Waters ruled that neither of the arrested men can be publicly identified at this stage and denied a request by Chief Superintendent Padraig Powell to remove the media from the hearing, instead imposing reporting restrictions.

The court was told that both men have been detained for over 118 hours and had access to refreshments, showers and exercise.

Judge Waters said he was satisfied that the investigation was being carried out “expeditiously” and granted a final detention period of 48 more hours.

Gardaí along with Revenue Officers seized 546kg of a synthetic drug, with an estimated value of €32.8 million.

Both men can now be questioned up until around 10.30am on Friday – but they can take breaks in between – which will mean the detention period will be paused during that time.

A large crowd was seen gathered outside the court as a large garda presence surrounded the area.

Both men were taken to and from the court separately.

Their arrest comes after gardai made the incredible discovery of €32.8m worth of crystal meth in a shipping container at Cork Port last Friday – and following searches of a business property in Co Kerry.

The meth is believed to have been destined for Australia and was being held here on behalf of the ruthless Sinaloa cartel – which was once led by ‘El Chapo.’

One of the arrested men is a well known businessman who has not come to garda attention in the past.

The other man is the son of a former politician who is seen as a close associate of Morris O’Shea Salazar, an Irish-Mexican citizen who heads the European operation of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel.

The man is also well known to gardai and has a violent past with prior convictions for assault.

Gardai and Revenue Officers seized 546kg of the synthetic drug which will now be analysed by Forensic Science Ireland.

Gardai from the Kerry and Cork Divisional Drugs Units along with local gardai were involved in the massive operation.

Follow-up searches in Cork and Kerry including one at a business premises led to the seizure of two firearms and the arrest of two men.

Both are in their 40s and are currently being held at Garda stations in the southern region of the country.

The Sinaloa Cartel is considered the largest narco-trafficking gang in the world and was previously led by drugs kingpin El Chapo – who is currently behind bars in the US.

Last year, we revealed Chilean investigators want to extradite O’Shea, who was nicknamed ‘Mexican’ when he was growing up in Killorglin in Kerry, from Mexico to face serious charges.

They want to charge him over an alleged plot to set up a so-called cell of the cartel in northern Chile in 2020 – during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sources reckon crystal meth could be flogged for three times higher Down Under than the street value in Ireland.

Crystal meth is a highly addictive drug that is frequently used by addicts in the US. It is not widely used in Ireland.

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