UPDATE: Gardaí arrest 40 people and seize ten cars as part of Operation Storm in Carlow
Gardaí were out in force
Operation Storm in Carlow this Wednesday has seen 40 people arrested and ten cars seized by Gardaí around the county.
As part of the massive operation, there were 40 arrests with 35 people charged, one person was dealt with by the Juvenile Liaison Officer while two people received adult cautions.
In another two matters, files are being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
There were 28 warrants executed in total with 25 of these bench warrants and three committal warrants.
Ten vehicles were seized under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act for no tax, no NCT and no insurance.
There were seventeen drugs searches and ten were positive with six people detected for the sale and supply of drugs and four for possession.
One person was arrested for drug driving and there were numerous checkpoints throughout the county right throughout the day.
The community engagement aspect of the operation saw crime prevention stands in a number of locations including Fairgreen Shopping Centre and Carlow Shopping Centre.
There were also crime prevention stands in Supervalu Hacketstown, Tullow, Sandhills, Bagenalstown and in seven post offices around Carlow.
Three schools were visited by Gardaí and the Mounted Unit and they included Bishop Foley, St Lazarian's and Gaelscoil Ceatharlach.
There were leaflet drops at a number of other schools throughout the day.
There were 130 Garda personnel involved in the operation under the guidance of Chief Superintendent of the Carlow/Kilkenny Division, Dominic Hayes, and Superintendent of the Carlow District, Aidan Brennan.
There were 26 student Gardaí on a training day from Templemore as well as uniformed Gardaí, detectives, the Carlow/Kilkenny Divisonal Drugs Unit and they were backed up by the Armed Support Unit, national support services, Mounted Unit and Dog Unit.
There were also officials from the Department of Agriculture and Revenue.
Chief Supt Hayes and Supt Brennan and the community engagement teams met with local traders and businesses operating the night-time economy in Carlow Town where they were briefed on a new initiative called Operation Town Safe which is an operation to combat anti-social behaviour and assaults in urban areas.