The men were brought before the courts today
Garda station (stock)(Image: CorkBeo/Thomas Lawrance)
Four men were hauled before the courts in Cork today as Gardaí in the north of the county continue to crack down on organised criminal activity and the drugs trade.
The group, made up of one man in his 20s, two in their 30s, and one in his 40s, was arrested as part of an ongoing operation targeting criminal activity in the North Cork region. Gardaí swooped in early on Saturday morning, and the group were called before the courts before noon.
The operation was carried out by Gardaí attached to the local drug crime unit, with the support of additional Gardaí from the Cork City Drugs Unit. It’s understood that this was an intelligence-led operation and that no illicit substances were seized during the arrests.
A Garda spokesperson said: “As part of an ongoing operation targeting criminal activity in the area, Gardaí arrested four men in the early hours of Friday, 27th March 2026, in north Co. Cork. This operation was carried out by Gardaí from the Cork City Drugs Unit, along with local Drug Units.
“The four men, one in his 20s, two in their 30s and one in his 40s, have since been charged and are due to appear before Cork District Court this morning, Saturday, 28th March 2026, at 11 am.”
Gardaí say investigations into the matter are ongoing. The bust forms part of more widespread efforts across the county as Gardaí work diligently to crack down on the sale and supply of drugs.
There have been a number of high-profile drug seizures across Cork so far this year, with millions worth of narcotics – and occasionally firearms – being taken off the streets by Gardaí.
Two separate operations in January saw more than €1.3 million worth of drugs and cash seized by Gardaí. The first saw cocaine worth €769,000 seized at a property in Douglas alongside €44,000 in cash and a further €60,000 worth of cannabis. Two men were arrested during the operation, which led to a follow-up search of another property in Dublin, where further illegal goods were discovered.
The second seizure led to three arrests – two men and a woman – after just shy of €500,000 worth of cannabis was discovered as part of an intelligence-led operation in North Cork. The raid on the property was a joint operation involving the Revenue Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), and the Cork North West Drugs Unit.
However, one of the most troubling discoveries was made by Gardaí in late 2025 after a traffic stop in North Cork led to the discovery of a gun-making workshop just outside Cork city. The discovery came following the seizure of a quantity of cocaine, three suspected firearms and ammunition from a vehicle in Mallow last November.
The firearms probe led Gardaí to a domestic residence in Douglas, where bomb parts and components of firearms were located. The Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal unit attended the scene, where Gardaí recovered suspected shotgun cartridges, ammunition, pipe bomb components, firearm components, firearms and various other items.