Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 7 March 2012
182 Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will report on Garda Operation Raptor; the number of persons arrested and charged to date; the amount of drugs recovered to date; the number of successful convictions secured to date; the cost of the operation to date; if this operation is still active; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13039/12]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Garda authorities that Operation Raptor was established by local Garda management in Waterford, in conjunction with personnel from the Garda National Drugs Unit, to target the illegal sale, supply and distribution of drugs in the Waterford area. As part of the Operation test purchases were conducted between June and December 2011, which have given rise to in excess of forty investigation files being submitted to the Law Officers.
Furthermore, on 29 February 2012, a search and arrest phase of this initiative was undertaken during which twenty searches were carried out, resulting in the arrest of seventeen persons. The persons concerned were brought before Waterford District Court and charged with offences relating to the illegal supply of controlled drugs, principally heroin and cocaine. Pending further court hearings involving these cases, no convictions have as yet been secured. It is anticipated that further arrests will follow as a result of this ongoing policing operation. I am further informed that the monetary value of drugs seized during this initiative would be relatively small, with street deals worth between approximately €20-€80 each being purchased in the course of the operation by undercover officers.
A dedicated budget was not established for this initiative. It would therefore necessitate a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to calculate the cost of the operation to date. An Garda Síochána remains fully committed to continuing to tackle the illegal supply of drugs at all levels, in keeping with commitments under the National Drugs Strategy. A key feature of this work is the ongoing close co-operation between the Garda National Drugs Unit and local Garda Drugs Units to ensure a co-ordinated and effective approach to drug law enforcement and the protection of our communities.
