Gardaí asked to open their lockers after €100k drugs haul goes missing in station

According to one report, it was retained, in the first instance, in a garda locker. 

A suspect was arrested and questioned about the seizure but when gardaí went to retrieve the cannabis from the locker, the drugs were missing. 

A criminal investigation was launched, although it was not deemed necessary to bring in officers from An Garda Síochána’s National Crime Bureau to investigate the matter. 

Since then, an extensive search has been conducted of the station and its environs, including garages, offices, outhouses, and portable buildings. 

The contents of various bins in the station and the immediate area have also been examined.

The investigating garda has now appealed to members in the station to help “expedite the search of members' lockers" by asking them to give consent for their locker to be opened to see if the missing property is located within, according to a circular. 

“If members, for whatever reason, prefer not to, that’s ok too," the message stated.

The circular went on to note that the locker room on the ground floor, where some of the members' lockers are located, is now sealed off.

“If anyone can help or knows the whereabouts of the missing property please contact me or the Supt in confidence,” the circular states. 

It was issued through WhatsApp and the recipients asked if those who consent to have their locker opened “could indicate same by giving a thumbs up". 

It is unknown at this point how many of the station’s members provided the thumbs up.

A spokesman for An Garda Síochána declined to answer questions about the specific development in the search.

“A criminal investigation is currently under way following reports that a significant amount of seized drugs were removed from a Garda station in the east of the country,” he said. 

“Inquiries are ongoing. No additional information is available at this time.”