Gardaí praised for undercover drug sting in Cork

A Garda sting operation caught a man making three separate heroin sales to undercover officers last year and yesterday the sentencing judge commended gardaí for this attempt to root out the scourge of drug dealing in the community.

Michael Crinnion, aged 24, of 1 Blackwater Grove, Togher, Cork, was jailed for four years and Judge Séan Ó Donnabháin imposed an additional suspended two-year sentence to commence when Crinnion is finished that sentence.

The judge said: “The guards are to be commended for this type of operation. Anything that can be done to root out drug dealing is to be commended.”

Judge Ó Donnabháin noted from the evidence of Detective Garda Liam Finn that every time the accused was contacted by the undercover garda he arrived at the agreed location with a single deal of heroin, taking care to separate himself from the main stash.

“This is indicative of a deep involvement — a knowing involvement in the trade,” the judge said.

Det Garda Finn said gardaí contacted a mobile number through which they were put in touch with Crinnion at different locations in Cork City.

The undercover officer bought €30 worth of heroin from him at Bishop Lucey Park on February 25, €30 worth at Togher Road on March 10, and €50 worth of the drug at Noonan Road on May 11.

Det Garda Finn said that these transactions were part of an investigation code-named Operation Emerson, designed to make controlled purchases of drugs from street dealers.

Judge Ó Donnabháin asked about the naming of the undercover operation and wondered if An Garda Síochána was in competition with the meteorological office in their efforts to come up with names for storms.

The judge suggested that coming up with a name like Operation Emerson was probably a job for someone of the rank of assistant commissioner.