€1.4m of cocaine 'concealed inside car panels', court told

A man was stopped driving through Cork city centre with €1.4m worth of cocaine professionally concealed inside panels of the car, it was claimed today as a man was arrested, charged and brought to court.

Marius Baran (aged 35), from Pila, Michalowskiego, Poland, was charged with being in possession of cocaine and two charges related to being in possession of 20 kilogrammes of the illegal drug for the purpose of sale or supply to others at Grand Parade, Cork, on Tuesday afternoon.

Garda Neill Walsh said that when Baran was charged he made no reply through a Polish interpreter.

Judge David Riordan remanded the accused in custody to appear again at Cork District Court tomorrow.

Solicitor, Donal Daly, was appointed to represent Baran on free legal aid.

There was no application for bail on behalf of the accused. Detective Inspector Tom Myers said that the State would be opposed to bail being granted to the accused given the alleged circumstances.

“It is the State’s case that he was caught red-handed. The likely sentence on conviction is ten years, subject to provisions. As the accused is a Polish national, it is the State’s case that he has no ties whatsoever with this country. He is here since last Sunday. It is my belief that if he is granted bail he will not stand trial.

“Twenty kilos of cocaine, the size of twenty bags of sugar were concealed in the vehicle, quite professionally in the panels,” Det. Supt. Myers said.