Galway Bay fm newsroom - The garda chief in Galway has been questioned about the operations of an alleged drugs cartel in the city.
At this week's meeting of the City Joint Policing Committee, Councillor Terry O' Flaherty asked Chief Superintendent Tom Curley, if he is aware of an eastern European drugs cartel calling themselves the 'immortals' or 'emortals' working on the east side of the city.
The Chief Superintendent said he was not going to comment on anything in relation to drugs operations.
He says that gardaí in Galway confiscate about one fifth of the drugs in circulation which is probably above the average in other cities.
Overall, the detection of drugs in the city by gardaí is increasing.
According to the latest garda figures for the city, there was a 28 per cent increase in the detection of drugs for sale or supply in 2016, compared to the previous year.
The biggest seizure was cannabis with almost three quarters of a million euro worth of the drug seized.
This was followed by ecstasy, heroin and cocaine.
There was also two and half thousand euro worth of other drugs, such as prescription, drugs seized.
JPC member, Joe Loughnane, pointed out that if legislation is passed allowing the medicinal use of cannabis, the figure for seizures will probably drop.
However, Chief Superintendent of Galway Garda Division, Tom Curley, says the majority of detections made in relation to the seizure of cannabis, were for sale or supply and not for personal use.
