Gardaí have arrested five people following early morning raids carried out at several unauthorised sites in Co Clare as part of an Operation Thor day of action.
Four men, all in their 20s, were initially arrested and are being questioned in relation to a number of alleged offences including drugs, road traffic and domestic violence offences.
A fifth man in his 30s was arrested later as part of the ongoing intelligence-led operation.
Armed detectives and uniformed Gardaí from Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush and Ennistymon were assisted by members Clare Divisional Drugs Unit, Roads Policing Unit, Ennis Warrants Unit, Community Police, Western Region Armed Support Units and the Limerick Divisional Drugs Garda & Dog, officers from Customs, Department of Social Welfare and the Road Safety Authority (RSA).
One of the raids is known to have taken place at an illegal caravan site on the Kilrush road on the outskirts of Ennis.
Gardaí seized suspected stolen power tools, cocaine with an estimated street value of €6,000 (pending analysis), prescription drugs with a value of €1,000 and a large sum of cash.
A Garda spokesman confirmed: “We carried out an operation this morning that involved a number of searches as part of ongoing investigations into burglaries and thefts in Ennis area in recent months.
A number of people have been arrested in connection with the alleged sale and supply of drugs, breach of a safety order and drunk driving. Items were also seized during these searches and our investigations are continuing.”