Gardaí carry out major operation against Eastern European drug gang in Cork City

The force’s highly secretive National Surveillance Unit (NSU) was brought in to plan and carry out a covert spying operation on the gang, assisted by the Regional Surveillance Unit for the Garda Southern Region.

The NSU rarely receives public acknowledgement for its work, nor is it typically mentioned in official Garda press statements.

Based in Dublin, it is part of the Garda National Crime & Security Intelligence Service and is generally tasked with the most sensitive and high priority of operations combating both dissident republican outfits and top tier organised crime groups.

The operational aspect — involving searches and arrests — were carried out by the Cork City Serious Crime Group, backed up by the Armed Support Unit, the Dog Unit and uniformed garda members.

Six of the men are being held on specific serious crime legislation relating to firearms offences, involving murder, false imprisonment and/or possession of firearms.

A seventh person is detained in relation to drug trafficking offences.

One of those in custody is Lithuanian. He had been a target of gardaí for some time and was arrested during a swoop on a residential address in the southeastern suburbs on Tuesday.

It is understood that gardaí have seized a number of items of evidential interest during the operation, believed to include mobile phones and other electronic devices, which will now be subject to forensic analysis.

But they have declined to comment on what else was recovered during the operation.

A statement issued by Garda HQ said: “Gardaí from the Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit are carrying out an operation targeting the sale and supply of drugs by an Organised Crime Group based in the Cork City Centre from Tuesday 25th March 2025. The operation is ongoing.

“This operation, supported by Cork City Serious Crime Units, National Surveillance Unit, Regional Surveillance Unit, Regional Armed Support Unit, Regional Dog Unit, Operation Tara and Cork City Centre Policing members resulted in the arrest of seven persons.” It said that a total of seven premises were searched and a number of items were seized.

“The men arrested, ranging from their 20s to 40s, have been conveyed to Garda Stations in Cork City. Six are currently being detained under the provisions of Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act 2007. One is currently being detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.” 

The statement said investigations were ongoing.