Man jailed for five years after €4m drugs find

By Sonya McLean

A man who agreed to pack up over €4 million worth of cannabis and heroin from “a large scale drug distribution hub” has been jailed for five years.

Mark O'Dwyer (44) of Emmet Buildings, Walting Street, Dublin , pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the drugs for sale or supply, worth a total €4,170,932, at an address on Ballyfermot Drive, on July 17, 2017.

He also pleaded guilty to three charges of possessing stun guns at the same place on the same date. He has 41 previous convictions.

Last month, 39-year-old Stephen Sarsfield of New Street Gardens, Dublin 8, was jailed for seven years after he pleaded guilty to the same offence.

O'Dwyer and Sarsfield were spotted transfering boxes of cannabis from a large lorry into a garage in a Dublin housing estate before gardaí moved in.

Detective Garda Brian Foran previously told Ronan Kennedy BL, prosecuting, that officers “were practically tripping over stuff” when they discovered 188 kgs of cannabis herb and 2.9 kgs of heroin.

He described it as “a large scale drug distribution hub” telling the court that a money counting machine, two plastic bag sealers, three stun guns and a weighing scales were also found in the garage.

Det Gda Foran said there were “drugs everywhere and an overpowering smell of cannabis herb”. He said the woman who owned the property next door didn't have access to the garage itself. It was being used as a business premises by another man.

Gardaí set up a surveillance operation that morning, having received a tip-off that a criminal gang was in possession of a large quantity of drugs. Officers noted that there was a large lorry parked outside a house opposite the garage and watched a number of men going into and out of the building over the course of the day.

O'Dwyer and Sarsfield were then seen moving flat pack boxes from the back of the truck into the garage.

Gardaí secured a warrant later that afternoon and searched the garage before both were arrested.

Det Gda Foran confirmed that none of the stun guns were working when tested.

He accepted that O'Dwyer made no attempt to flee, nor did he resist arrest.

Det Gda Foran accepted a suggestion that O'Dwyer had only been called in that day to get involved but added “he was a willing participant”.

Michael O'Higgins SC, defending, said his client had been on a methadone maintenance programme for 20 years and has not committed any crimes, either supporting or because of his drug addiction, since.

Counsel said O'Dwyer was recruited on the day as an “unskilled labourer” and had been promised €1,500, which he never received.

“The money was waved in front of his face. He is classic fodder for those engaged in this sort of commercial activity,” Mr O'Higgins said.

Judge Martin Nolan said O'Dwyer was promised money to pack the drugs and move them along. He said it was “a serious misjudgement” but accepted that he had “no proprietary interest” in the drugs.

“He must have known it was a serious drug operation,” Judge Nolan said before accepting that O'Dwyer has had success on a methadone programme and co-operated with the gardaí.