Corkman accused of carrying €140k of cocaine hit Garda car in bid to evade capture

Accused was pulled over on the M8 motorway at Watergrasshill on July 12 and attempted to evade capture before striking Garda car and coming to a stop, court heard

Driver was seen throwing a plastic bag out of the vehicle before coming to a stop and that the bag was retrieved by gardaí, who discovered €140,000 worth of suspected cocaine. File picture: iStock

A 38-year-old man accused of carrying €140,000 worth of cocaine on the motorway from Dublin to Cork was arrested and charged with another more serious count under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Detective Garda Eoin O’Toole arrested Andrew Maher and charged him with having the drugs for sale or supply at a time when its street value exceeded €13,000. On conviction, this charge can carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years unless there are exceptional circumstances.