Profits made by Irish drugs gangs from cannabis now rival those from the cocaine trade, as criminals source it at low prices from countries where it has been legalised or laws relaxed. <\/p>\n
Changes in the international cannabis wholesale market are so significant that the economics of the Irish drugs trade have fundamentally shifted, Garda<\/a> sources told The Irish Times. <\/p>\n It has become much easier to buy good-quality herbal cannabis \u2013 from the US<\/a>, Canada<\/a> and Thailand<\/a> \u2013 at lower wholesale prices, greatly increasing the profits to be made in the Republic and reducing the risks for the Irish criminals involved.<\/p>\n Det Chief Supt Seamus Boland, who leads the Garda\u2019s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DocB), told The Irish Times the barriers to entry to the cannabis trade, by those buying at source abroad, have reduced, encouraging smaller operators. <\/p>\n He explained that even relatively minor figures in the Irish drugs trade were now travelling to places such as Canada and buying small quantities of cannabis herb, intended for the legal market in those countries, but then smuggling it into the illicit market in Ireland.<\/p>\n They did not need to deal with dangerous cartels abroad, and there was little risk from local law enforcement because the drug is legal in these locations. The only major significant risk was losing a consignment if it was seized when being smuggled into Ireland. <\/p>\n \u201cUsually it\u2019s in quantities of less than 5kg, and they are sending it back to Ireland in parcel post,\u201d he said of smaller Irish drug dealers travelling abroad to countries where the drug has been legalised. \u201cWe have seen a number of times now that they\u2019re using the addresses of minors, 16- or 17-year-olds.\u201d<\/p>\n [\u00a0\u2018They\u2019ll use AI for new drugs\u2019: Ireland\u2019s arms race with organised crimeOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Boland added the dealers were often pressuring these young people into allowing their addresses to be used to take receipt of the drugs sent by courier. This shifted the risk of detection on to the younger people.<\/p>\n Garda research in recent months concluded cannabis herb is now being bought from Irish wholesalers, after being smuggled into the country, for between \u20ac3,500 and \u20ac4,000 per kilogram. It fetches \u20ac14,000 on the streets of the Republic, allowing a profit of up to \u20ac10,000 per kilo.<\/p>\n The Garda has now officially revalued a kilogram of cannabis herb at \u20ac14,000, down from \u20ac20,000 just months ago, reflecting the changing trade. Though the value of the drug has fallen in Ireland, profits have still increased. <\/p>\n The wholesale cost is so low because the supply lines are overstocked at a time when demand from drug users is at record levels.<\/p>\n