GARDAÍ have raided a suspected poteen operation in Cork where the potentially lethal booze was being sold on the streets to the homeless and youngsters.

A man is being questioned by officers over the production, distribution and sale of illegal alcohol across Cork city and county.

He was detained followed a garda ‘sting’ operation in Cork city.

The 36 year old man can be questioned for an initial period of 12 hours.

It is understood the ‘moonshine’ involved is distilled to a Polish recipe which results in the alcohol being of exceptionally strong potency.

The operation followed lengthy surveillance after Gardaí became increasingly concerned about the supply of illegal alcohol across Cork city and towns.

Detectives were shocked to realise the cut-price but potentially lethal alcohol was being sold by the bottle in areas close to both churches and schools.

It was being supplied to the homeless, youngsters and vulnerable foreign nationals – with medical personnel noting an alarming increase in alcohol-related admissions over recent weeks.

In one case, an alley beside a city centre church was a rendezvous point for people who wanted to buy the booze.

It is feared that as much as 240 litres of the alcohol was being sold weekly across Cork city – either by the case, one litre bottle or even half litre bottle and the price varied between €10 and €13 per bottle.

Caitríona Twomey of Cork Penny Dinners warned RedFM that the illegal booze was wreaking havoc, particularly amongst the very young and the homeless.

“We were aware of it – people had told us and we were seeing the way it ravaged people for ourselves,” she said.

“It changed people – they became a shell of their former selves. This stuff is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Caitríona said the effect of the alcohol on the vulnerable was shocking to witness.

“This stuff will kill people eventually. What we were very disturbed about was how young the people were who were drinking this stuff.”

“We saw people who were drunk off their heads at 9am in the morning.” She paid tribute to the garda operation.

“Well done to the Gardaí – this was a great operation and great work to see someone like this taken off the street,” she said.

A garda spokesman said: “During the course of the search, a quantity of homemade alcohol, hundreds of bottles for packaging, a quantity of cash, and a baton were seized.

“The alcohol being supplied is suspected to be of a high strength and not having undergone any quality controls. Revenue investigations relating to excise matters are on-going.

“FSAI and HSE will investigate with a view to a prosecution from a public health concern.”

They added that nobody has been arrested and investigations are ongoing.

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