€1m heroin charge man found not guilty

A judge in the trial of a Dublin man charged with conspiracy to posses heroin valued at almost €1m for sale or supply has directed the jury to find him not guilty.

Keith Grogan (aged 20), of the Coombe, Dublin 8, had pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Judge Frank O’Donnell told the jury that because a search warrant had not been in accordance with the law, the prosecution would not have sufficient evidence for a charge of conspiracy.

He said: "Customs Officials and gardaí did a fantastic job in this case by stopping almost €1m of heroin reaching the streets of Dublin."

Ms Isobel Kennedy SC (with Mr Garnet Orange BL), prosecuting, earlier told the jury that a wooden cabinet, within which five packages of heroin were hidden, was brought into Dublin Port on March 17, 2003.

Ms Kennedy said customs officials alerted gardaí who then removed the heroin, which had a market value of over €930,000 euro, and replaced it with a substitute powder.

While under garda surveillance, the cabinet was brought to a lockup on Bushes Lane, Rathgar.

Gardaí entered the premises and arrested the accused and another man.