Truck driver jailed for importing cannabis

A Monaghan truck driver has today been jailed for five years for importing more than €600,000 worth of cannabis into the State.

David Mathews (aged 27) was observed by gardaí driving his truck off the ferry at Dublin Port and transporting the drugs to his Monaghan home where two men met him and took the cannabis to the North.

They were stopped after they crossed the border by the PSNI and each later jailed for six years.

Mathews of Drumgola, Rockcorry pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the importation of 49 kilogrammes of cannabis worth €608,400 at Dublin Port on November 7, 2009.

Judge Martin Nolan noted Mathews was in financial trouble at the time and agreed to import the drugs to make some “easy money”.

Detective Garda Kieran O’Reilly told prosecuting counsel Mr Garret Baker BL that a surveillance operation saw Mathews arrive on a Stena Line Ferry from Europe and drive straight to his home.

Shortly afterwards two men arrived in separate cars and were seen loading boxes from the truck into one of their vehicles. They then drove across the border in convoy where they were arrested by police.

Mathews was arrested at his home and gardaí found Stg£28,360 (€34,577) and €4,000 in a cash box. Most of this was later forfeited to the State.

He admitted transporting the drugs and said he agreed to the job to pay off his Credit Union loans of €15,000. He said he knew it was illegal but did not know what type of drugs he was importing.

Defence counsel Remy Farrell SC said his client owned a small haulage firm at the time and his now driving trucks for other people.

He said this conviction will make it impossible for him to continue work as an international truck driver.