OPERATION STORM: Cannabis growhouse found and 47 arrests made as part of Garda crackdown in Kilkenny

Gardai arrested 47 people and discovered a cannabis growhouse in a Kilkenny village as part of Operation Storm that took place throughout the county today.

They also uncovered an amount of MDMA and recovered stolen property as part of the searches undertaken during the operation.

Gardai discovered the growhouse containing maturing cannabis plants at a building in Attanagh, near Ballyragget this morning.

Twenty people have been arrested for crime offence including burglary, theft, fraud/deception, drugs offences and assault. Two of those arrested remain in garda custody at present while another two were charged and brought to court.

Five of those arrested have been returned to prison after being charged in relation to the recent burglary of the EIR phone shop in Market Cross in the city, where over €20,000 worth of merchandise was stolen.

A further seven people were charged in relation to the offences but have been bailed to appear in the District court. Four more have been released and files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution.

Twenty-seven more people were arrest on the back of outstanding warrants, two cars were also seized as part of the operation.

134 gardai took part in the operation, 110 Detective, Drugs and Uniformed Gardaí from across the Kilkenny/ Carlow Garda Division and 24 student gardai from Templemore. While 60 checkpoints were mounted around the county.

The operation saw gardai perform a number of planned searches in Kilkenny, Dublin, Wexford, Tipperary and Carlow.

Operation Storm is aimed at preventing crime, disrupting criminal activity, arresting criminals wanted on warrant and to enhance garda relations with the public.

The operation is ongoing.