GARDAÍ WORKING WITH Polish police have confirmed that 13 Polish nationals residing in Ireland have been arrested, while a further 170 individuals in Poland have had charges filed against them in an operation targeting organised crime.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau has been engaged in a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) with Poland, with the agreement signed on 24 January 2022. 

Three and a half years into the JIT agreement, it has now reached its conclusion. It said it had evidential cooperation continuing to support prosecutions. 

The JIT was primarily established to target a network of transnational Polish criminal organisations with various cells based in Poland, Spain, and Ireland. These organisations had been identified to be coordinating importation of cannabis at a “significant scale” into Ireland, as well as other European jurisdictions. 

Over €8m of controlled drugs were seized in Ireland as a result, with assistance from Revenue. This includes 340kg of cannabis herb, 155kg of cannabis resin, and 26kg of amphetamine. Over €800,000 in cash was also seized. 

Thirteen Polish nationals based in Ireland were arrested as part of the investigations into the organised criminal activity. 

A number of the prosecution cases in Ireland were transferred to Poland. 

In total, over 800kg of controlled drugs, seven firearms, and several hundred rounds of ammunition was seized across a “number of European jurisdictions”. Charges were filed against 170 individuals in Poland.

Assets worth over €11m have been seized by Polish investigators across Europe as being the proceeds of crime.