Gardaí have raided what they suspect was an illegal distillery in Co Louth in what the Garda Chief Superintendent said is, “another added dimension to Covid”.
The raid, on a house in Drogheda, found about 50 litres of what appeared to be illegally distilled alcohol.
While it is not yet known what it was distilled from, it will be destroyed and the Garda investigation is continuing.
Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan said gardaí are paying “particular attention” to shebeens and people who are “endeavouring to open some licensed premises”.
He said that in the house, which was raided as part of an investigation last night, the distilled alcohol found “the colour of it was pretty green. I would not like to be trying to consume it”.
He said what was being produced “is very dangerous and very lethal to people’s health".
“It is an area we are watching, and we certainly won’t allow it to happen.” He said illegal distillation is “another added dimension to Covid”.
He also confirmed that in relation to Covid-19 restrictions, gardaí in the Louth division have issued 208 fixed charge penalty notices to date, mainly for not wearing masks and for travelling outside the 5km distance.
He gave the figures to a meeting of the Ardee Joint Policing Committee today.
