Court hears man used fleet of ice cream vans as cover for major cocaine business

A mobile ice cream van, which sold ice-lollies and cones to children around parks and sports venues, was being used as a cover for a major drugs distribution business, Limerick circuit criminal court heard today, writes David Raleigh.

The owner of the van, Paul Collopy, aged 41, started out in life transporting coal on a horse and cart, but after venturing into the ice cream business, he discovered it was the perfect way to hide and sell drugs.