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Drug offences have risen by 90% in Carlow in the past four years

Drug offences have risen by 90% in Carlow in the past four years

Carlow has seen a 90% increase in drug offences in the past four years.

New figures show the biggest increases in recorded drug crime are outside the capital.

There's been a 20% jump in the number of offences recorded in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2018.

In 2016, recorded drug crime jumped by 6% while there was 5% increase in 2017 and 9% last year.

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But in the first six months of this year there's been a further 20% rise in the number of recorded offences.

There's been treble the number of recorded drug crimes in Naas, Co.Kildare and in Mullingar in Westmeath, while both Carlow and Laois have seen a 90% increase in the last four years.

An analysis of drug crimes recorded in each Garda station in the country over the four-years from 2015 to the end of last year has shown that while there has been a rise in drug crime in regional Ireland, the increases in Dublin are more modest.

Meanwhile, a Fianna Fáil TD has criticised the reduction of numbers of gardaí dedicated to drug units.

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“In my own area of Dublin Midwest, in 2011 there was a total of 35 gardaí in the unit, this had dropped to 26 in 2011 and now in 2019 we see there are just seven gardaí in the unit," said John Curran.

"These cuts are unacceptable particularly when we see high levels of drug crime continuing.”

Garda drugs units are mainly comprised of detectives and undercover gardaí.

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