Sinn Féin TD for Louth Ruairí Ó Murchú has welcomed the discovery of an estimated €33,500 worth of cocaine in Muirhevnamór.

Gardaí stopped and searched a man his twenties in the Muirhevnamór area and found €2,000 worth of cocaine, and further cocaine with an estimated value of €31,500, was discovered in follow-up searches.

Deputy Ó Murchú said;

“I very much welcome the good work by Gardaí which has led to the detection and seizure of a significant amount of cocaine. It shows the pressure that the community in Dundalk is under and the size of the overall drugs problem we are faced with.

“Along with the scourge of drug dealing we continue to deal on a day and daily basis with local families living in terror caused by drug debt intimidation and extortion. This cannot continue.

“I have spoken to senior Gardaí about these issues and what happened over the weekend. It is clear, as it has been for a long time, that the problems of drugs and organised crime needs to be tackled in a more holistic way.

“The problem of drugs in Dundalk is ongoing and has cost a number of lives over the past 12 months.

‘It is more important than ever that in the next Government, whoever it may be comprised of, we have a Minister whose responsibility it is to deal with complex issue such as this in a competent and effective manner.”