Cocaine price claims: what can be confirmed from Gardaí, Revenue and published monitoring?
Garda leadership has publicly stated that wholesale kilo prices rose and attributed the increase to enforcement pressure and major seizures.
Revenue/Garda releases document continued significant seizures nationally, including recent high-value cocaine detections.
Public comments from senior Garda sources in recent years have pointed to a rise in the wholesale (per-kilo) price of cocaine and have linked that rise to the disruption caused by large-scale seizures. The available public record is stronger on wholesale impacts than on retail (“street”) price trends, and international monitoring cautions that retail prices can remain stable even when purity and supply conditions shift.
A blow to the smuggling operations of the Dublin crime group known as “The Family” is most certainly leading to a lower-purity drug currently on Irish streets.
(1) What Gardaí have said – Wholesale per kilo price increase:
In August of 2024, Det Chief Supt Séamus Boland (Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau) said Gardaí had seen a “significant increase” in the wholesale price, with kilos moving from around €25,000 to some €40,000, and he linked that change to the impact of major seizures and enforcement activity.
(2) What can be confirmed about large seizures in recent years following joint Garda/Revenue operations:
Revenue and Garda press releases confirm continued high-value cocaine seizures under joint, intelligence-led operations, including:
- 5.46kg of cocaine seized at Dublin Airport (estimated value €382,200) in December 2025.
- A joint Operation Tara-related seizure of suspected cocaine valued at around €4.06 million in December 2025.
- The MV Matthew operation remains a reference point in discussions of large-scale disruption: the vessel was seized in connection with Ireland’s largest drugs haul in 2023, with official costs and handling continuing to be reported in 2025.
(3) What cannot be firmly confirmed from public sources:
While Garda commentary has focused on wholesale kilo prices, publicly available, Europe-wide monitoring reports that retail cocaine prices have remained relatively stable over the past decade, alongside changes in purity. This does not rule out local or short-term volatility, but it means a sustained retail price rise in Ireland is not confirmed on the same evidential footing as the reported wholesale change.
(4) From a local Tipperary context:
Garda press releases confirm cocaine seizures and related enforcement activity in Tipperary, including a December 2024 operation in which Gardaí in the Tipperary Division said they seized approximately €100,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis, with a man arrested and charged.
Separately, Revenue has reported joint operations resulting in arrests/detentions within the Clare–Tipperary Division (e.g., Shannon Airport seizures), reflecting the regional footprint of national enforcement activity.
A sustained rise in retail prices is not established by the main public monitoring sources; EU monitoring notes retail prices have remained relatively stable over the past decade.
Tipperary: Garda releases confirm cocaine seizures and arrests in the county/Division in recent years.
Recent Garda commentary has pointed to a sharp rise in the wholesale price of cocaine in Ireland and has linked that rise to major drug seizures. Publicly available monitoring and data sources, however, are stronger on wholesale impacts than on retail (“street”) price changes, and the relationship between seizures and lasting price rises is not straightforward.
What Gardaí have said:
Wholesale prices: In August 2024, the head of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), Det Chief Supt Séamus Boland, said the wholesale price per kilogram of cocaine had risen sharply (reported as moving from about €25,000 to around €40,000), and that the increase was probably due to large seizures by Gardaí and Revenue.
It has been reported that a senior Garda drug investigator linked the ‘MV Matthew’ seizure (2023) to an increase in the wholesale price in Ireland, describing disruption and internal “investigation” by those controlling the shipment.
What can be confirmed about seizures.
Large-scale cocaine seizures by Gardaí and Revenue are well documented in official releases, including joint operations under ‘Operation Tara’ and regular intercepts at ports and airports.
Examples from December 2025 include:
- A joint Garda/Revenue operation reporting suspected cocaine valued at €4.06m, with arrests.
- Revenue reporting a 53.5kg seizure at Rosslare Europort valued at €3.75m.
- Revenue reporting a 5.46kg seizure at Dublin Airport valued at €382k.
What cannot be firmly confirmed from public data:
Public reporting and official statements cited above, focus mainly on wholesale kilo prices. They do not conclusively establish a sustained rise in retail price per gram across Ireland.
EU-wide monitoring context.
The EU Drugs Agency (EUDA) reports that, at retail level, cocaine prices have remained relatively stable over the past decade across Europe, while purity has trended upward. This does not rule out short-term Ireland-specific volatility, but it cautions against presenting retail price rises as settled fact.
A key operational nuance highlighted in reporting:
Where wholesale prices rise, impacts may appear as greater adulteration / lower purity rather than higher street prices. Recent reporting cites Garda detections of heavily diluted cocaine in some instances.
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