Gardaí have seized over €250,000 during a series of raids aimed at tackling a drug dealing operation that could stretch as far as Australia.

A number of people were arrested following the raids across Dublin this morning.

Detectives have been working with Australian Federal Police to target a northside drug gang with close connections to the Kinahan crime family.

Stephen Breen, crime editor with the Irish Sun, said six people were arrested following the raids.

He said gardaí believe the international crime operation was involved in "importing cocaine across Europe but also to as far away as Australia and the suspicion was that they were sending people to Australia to sell cocaine," he said.

"The profits and the funds raised from the sales were then sent back to Ireland in various forms."

Image: An Garda Síochána

Gardaí said five men aged 27 to 31-years-old and one woman aged 24 were arrested on suspicion of Money Laundering offences.

They are being held at various Dublin Garda stations.

Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll from Garda Special Crime Operations said: "This is further evidence of the enhanced level of co-operation that An Garda Síochana - and Special Crime Operations in particular - have engaged in, in recent times with a view to tackling the organised crime gangs that operate at an international level.”

Some of the people arrested today are believed to have recently returned from Australia.

The investigation is ongoing.

Reporting from Aideen Finnegan ...