Thirty-five people have been arrested as part of a Garda crackdown on crime in the Kilkenny/Carlow Division.

Searches were carried out at 24 premises with drugs and a firearm seized as part of Operation Thor.

Of the 35 arrested, 16 have been taken to court and 19 others are being detained at Carlow, Kilkenny and Thomastown Garda Station under Section 4 of Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Gardaí searched premises in Kilkenny city, Urlingford and Castlecomer, which are all dwellings with the exception of one.

Drugs to the value of €34,000 were seized in these searches.

A handgun was also seized during a search in Kilkenny city.