A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the seizure of an estimated €6.5m worth of heroin in Dublin.
Gardaí say the man is one of west Dublin's biggest drug dealers and have described the arrest and the seizure of 32kg of heroin as significant.
The 35-year-old was arrested in Palmerstown last night following a surveillance operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit.
It is believed he tried to escape and throw away packages of drugs as he ran but he was arrested and the heroin was recovered in various locations - most of it in the van he was driving.
A major criminal with multiple convictions, he was an associate of the convicted drug dealer John Gilligan and gardaí say he was a major organiser, trafficker and supplier of substantial quantities of drugs in west Dublin.
In follow up searches the woman was arrested and both suspects are being detained in Clondalkin Garda Station.
The Garda Air Support Unit and the Criminal Assets Bureau were also involved in the operation.
Three cars have been seized, including a BMW X5, and over €60,000 has been frozen in a number of bank accounts.
