Gardaí are searching for a man suspected of involvement in the drugs trade after he escaped from a Garda station.

He had been arrested for questioning during an operation last Thursday and was in custody. He escaped on Monday.

The suspect, who is in his 40s and has been a target for gardaí in Kilkenny, appears to have taken advantage of an unsecured area of the station campus.

Gardaí are concerned he has had help and will have the resources to flee abroad. Efforts are being made to ensure he cannot leave the country through the main ports or airports.

The man is considered a significant figure in the regional drugs trade and is suspected of directing others in the commission of crime. He was detained last Thursday in a planned operation following an investigation into the activities of a gang based in southeast Leinster with reach into parts of Munster.

While investigations to determine precisely how the suspect escaped from custody continue, gardaí believe there was a lapse in a usually secure area at Kilkenny station.

Though he fled of his own volition, he has a significant number of criminal contacts in the area who are believed to have aided him afterwards.

He was being interrogated during a prolonged maximum period of detention for questioning granted to gardaí due to the seriousness of the allegations against him.

In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters on Wednesday confirmed a prisoner escape was under investigation but did not provide details.

“Gardaí are investigating the escape from Garda custody of a male, aged in his 40s, on Monday, September 22nd, from a Garda station in the eastern region,” the Garda said.

Though escapes from Garda custody – or from prison custody, usually on medical visits or other escorts – are not unprecedented in the State, they are rare and treated very seriously. Many of those who have escaped have been located and arrested within days.

However, more senior criminals with access to significant funds pose a greater challenge as they have the resources to evade gardaí for long enough to flee the country.

The escape of the suspect in Kilkenny is an embarrassment for the Garda and a significant manhunt has been under way since Monday night.