€130k growhouse uncovered during weekend raid was one of four search operations to take place in Granard District

A number of successful searches and operations were carried out in the Granard district over the weekend, with one search uncovering a ‘sophisticated cannabis growhouse’ in Aughnacliffe.

Gardaí seized approximately €130,000 of suspected cannabis during the search of the residence in on Saturday afternoon and made one arrest.

Speaking to the Longford Leader this week, Superintendent Seamus Boyle of the Granard District explained that the raid was a “joint operation” between gardaí, the Divisional Drugs Unit and Detective Inspector John Costello.

A man appeared before a special sitting of Mullingar District Court on Sunday afternoon charged with section 15 and section 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Act.

A file has been sent to the DPP and, following a garda objection to bail, the man has been remanded in custody to Harristown District Court on Friday, January 29.

Four other major search operations were carried out in the district over the weekend - three of which were in the south Cavan area and one which took place at a home in Granard in relation to a local feud following reports to gardaí of a shooting incident, which took place in December.

One man was arrested in relation to the latter for possession of a firearm on December 13, 2020. He was detained and charged with criminal damage and public order offences which took place on January 7 and 10 in Edgeworthstown.

The man appeared at Sunday’s special court sitting and was remanded in custody to Tuesday’s sitting of Longford District Court.

Also in relation to that feud, two other men were arrested on January 15 and charged with criminal damage and public order offences in Edgeworthstown on January 9. They were also due to appear at yesterday’s sitting of Longford District Court.

Following the success of the weekend, Supt Boyle told the Leader that a special thanks should go out to those who were involved in the search operations.

Alongside Supt Boyle were local gardaí and the regional support unit, the Divisional Drugs Unit, Cavan District Gardaí, Detective Inspector John Costello and Supt Boyle himself.

“I’d like to say thanks to those units for their help because, without them, we wouldn’t have been able to perform these searches, so thanks to those units and to Detective Inspector Costello,” he said.