Major International Drug Ring Dismantled Following Three-Year Ireland-Poland Investigation

• Gardaí and Polish authorities have successfully concluded a major Joint Investigation Team operation targeting transnational organised crime, resulting in drug seizures worth over €8 million in Ireland and the arrest of 170 individuals across Europe.

The three-year investigation, which began with an agreement signed in January 2022, targeted a sophisticated network of Polish criminal organisations coordinating large-scale cannabis importation into Ireland and other European countries. The operation concluded successfully in 2025, with evidential cooperation continuing to support ongoing prosecutions.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) worked closely with Polish authorities through the Joint Investigation Team, coordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol. The investigation revealed criminal networks with leadership, transport and distribution cells based across Poland, Spain and Ireland.

In Ireland alone, authorities seized over €8 million worth of controlled drugs with assistance from Revenue's Customs Service. The haul included 340 kilograms of cannabis herb, 155 kilograms of cannabis resin and 26 kilograms of amphetamine, alongside more than €800,000 in cash. Thirteen Polish nationals based in Ireland were arrested as part of the investigation.

The international scope of the operation yielded even more significant results. Across multiple European jurisdictions, over 800 kilograms of controlled drugs were seized, along with seven firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Polish prosecutors in the District Prosecutor's Office in Gliwice have filed charges against 170 individuals, with assets worth over €11 million seized as proceeds of crime.

Detective Superintendent Dave Gallagher of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau said: "This investigation again shows the international dimensions of transnational organised crime and demonstrates fully the benefits of our ongoing collaboration with law enforcement in other jurisdictions. Such investigations coordinated via Europol and Eurojust continue to disrupt, prosecute and dismantle transnational criminal organisations impacting on communities in Ireland and across Europe."

The criminal network operated by transporting drugs in specially prepared compartments within commercial vehicles, including spare wheels of lorries belonging to Polish transport companies. Single shipments typically contained between 40 and 200 kilograms of drugs, with the group believed to have trafficked several tonnes of cannabis and other narcotics since 2017.

Polish authorities revealed that some arrested individuals had connections to football hooligan groups associated with Silesian football clubs. The investigation involved extensive cooperation with law enforcement agencies across Spain, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Czech Republic and Italy.

Evidence gathered by Irish investigators was shared with Polish prosecutors, with several Irish prosecution cases transferred to Poland as part of larger organised crime proceedings. The first convictions have already been secured in Poland, with sentences exceeding 10 years imprisonment.

The successful conclusion of this Joint Investigation Team marks a significant blow to international drug trafficking networks affecting Ireland. With prosecutions ongoing in multiple jurisdictions and millions in criminal assets frozen, the operation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated European law enforcement efforts against transnational organised crime.