Additional Garda resources dedicated to drug raids had led to the arrest of 200 dealers across Galway so far this year.

The County Galway Joint Policing Committee meeting was told there had been a 141% jump in incidents of drugs possession for sale or supply for the first ten months of this year with 94 cases being processed by the Gardaí. There was a record 280 incidents of drugs possession in the same period, a hike of nearly 95%.

Garda analyst Olivia Meagher said prior to 2023 the number of simple possession cases had remained stable, hovering around 40.

The stark increase was as a result of ‘proactive police work in relation to tackling drugs in the county and the city’ and multiple intelligence-led operations.

Officers had seized €1.2 million worth of drugs until the end of October and the vast majority of that was cocaine, which had a street value of €700,000. That figure was three times the amount of drugs seized in the city.

Detective Superintendent Shane Cummins, who is in charge of investigating all serious crime in Galway, said extra resources allocated by Chief Superintendent Gerry Roche for overtime had resulted in ‘a huge success in drugs detection’.

Chief Supt Roche said since his appointment to the job a year ago he had made targeting drugs a priority.

Caption: Chief Supt Gerry Roche.

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