Four arrests after cannabis worth €8.5m seized

429kg of cannabis was found - that's 946lb, or more than 67 stone

Four men have been arrested after cannabis with an estimated street value of €8.5m (£7.1m) was seized by gardaí (Irish police) following a search of business premises in Dublin.

Shortly after15:00 local time, gardaí intercepted two vehicles and carried out a planned search in the Ballymount area of Tallaght, where they found 429kg (946lb) of the drug.

Four men, aged 31, 45, 52 and 58, were arrested under suspicion of facilitating and enhancing a criminal organisation to commit drug trafficking offences.

They are being held at Garda stations in the Dublin area.

Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly said: "This operation is another example of our commitment to target the enablers and facilitators of global drug trafficking networks and our ongoing efforts to make Ireland a difficult environment for them to operate in.”

The seizure forms part of Operation Tara, an enhanced national anti-drugs strategy.

Another discovery of approximately €1.976m (£1.6m) of illegal tablets was seized by gardaí following searches on a number of properties in Dublin on Friday.

Zopiclone and Alprazolam tablets and approximately €4,500 cash were found during the search in five different areas of Dublin.

Two men, aged in their 50s and 30s, have both been charged.

The man in his 30s is due to appear in court later on Saturday evening.

The man in his 50s is due to appear in court on Monday.