The number of batches of cocaine being sent for analysis by gardaí has doubled in the last 18 months.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland, Superintendent Kevin Donohoe said garda operations are taking place throughout Ireland on a daily basis targeting drug users and suppliers.
However he pointed to difficulties with obtaining sufficient evidence: 'We do have a number of raids...[but] there's a big gap between what you think you know and what you can prove in court, and that's an issue we have.'
Supt Donohue added that personal responsibility was a primary factor in countering cocaine abuse: 'At the end of the day, people are making individual choices and they're very significant - from our point of view, all cocaine is extremely dangerous.'
