Gardai have praised communities for reporting drugs crimes - saying theyÂ’ve led to the arrests of 48 people.

The men and women have been appearing in courts in Cavan, Portlaoise and Blanchardstown in Dublin, charged in connection with drug trafficking.

The youngest person arrested was 16, which gardai say shows the ruthlessness of drugs gangs.

While the amounts of drugs seized were small, gardai say the majority of the seizures were heroin.

Detective Superintendent Seamus Boland from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau says the arrests couldn'Â’t have taken place without help from locals;