Two deported as gardaí in Louth carry out major operation outside Dundalk

Working as part of the Joint Agency Task Force (JATF), Gardaí in Louth conducted a major multi-agency checkpoint on the N1/M1 in Dundalk on Thursday.

The high-visibility operation involved close co-operation between An Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which also conducted a number of high-visibility vehicle checkpoints on the Northern Ireland side of the border. The policing operation, with a focus on rural crime and human trafficking, was aimed at preventing and detecting criminality along the border and at preventing and disrupting the free movement of criminals based in the Republic and Northern Ireland.

During the operation there were four detections for drug driving(tested positive for cocaine and cannabis) and other vehicles were seized for having no tax or insurance and other Road Traffic Offences detected

The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) carried out immigration checks on ten buses and two persons were refused Leave to Land and were being deported from the country last night. 

The Department of Social Protection identified 16 people for whom they wish to carry out further enquiries.

Revenue Customs detected Marked Gas Oil being unlawfully used in six vehicles, one of which was seized.

The operation was led by Gardaí from the Louth/Cavan/Monaghan Division, assisted by the Garda Air Support Unit, Armed Support Unit, Garda National Immigration Bureau and the Garda Human Trafficking Investigation Unit, alongside officials from Customs and the Department of Social Protection.

The Garda operation also served as a Mandatory Intoxicating Testing (MIT) checkpoint and focussed on providing a high-visibility policing presence to help reduce road deaths.

Transport Infrastructure Ireland implemented a full traffic management plan to divert all traffic over a period of four hours off the N1 southbound at Junction 18 and onto a slip road where the checkpoint was in place.

Sergeant Declan Higgins of the Louth Roads Policing Unit said: "Under the JATF, we work closely with the PSNI and they have a similar checkpoint operation North of the border. What we’re trying to do is prevent criminals from using our road network. The checkpoint is also part of the road safety initiative of An Garda Síochána, we’re targeting drink and drug drivers and also people driving without insurance.

Chief Inspector Adam Corner of the PSNI said: "We are proud to be involved in this JATF operation with our colleagues in An Garda Síochána. We are utilising a number of PSNI resources in order to control the strategic road network to deny criminals the use of the road.

"Criminals are looking to exploit our border region and border communities and it’s through working with An Garda Síochána, sharing information, we will relentlessly pursue those looking to cause misery and those who look to commit crime in the border area.”