Corkman caught with €200k worth of drugs 'an integral part of organised crime group'

Gardaí raided accused's house on Evergreen Road in Cork and found drugs, mixing agent for cocaine, and more than €3k in cash, court heard

Garda testified that cocaine with a street value of €192,000 and €9,000 worth of cannabis were found in search of accused's house. Picture: iStock

A man described as “an integral part of an organised crime group” was caught with more than €200,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis when detectives raided a house on Evergreen Road in Cork.

And now he has been jailed for two years.

Judge Colin Daly imposed a total sentence of two years and eight months on 37-year-old Greg Ahern at Cork Circuit Criminal Court and suspended the last eight months.

Garda Kevin Motherway testified that cocaine with a street value of €192,000 and €9,000 worth of cannabis were found.

Along with these drugs, gardaí also located one and a half kilos of benzocaine — a mixing agent for cocaine. And €3,100 in cash was also seized during the search.

Garda Motherway said: “When interviewed on three occasions, he refused to identify the source of the drugs and who he was working for.

“He admitted that originally had 5kg of cocaine worth €350,000 and that 2kg had been sold by the time the gardaí searched him.” 

Greg Ahern, with an address at Evergreen Road in Cork, claimed he had a €600 debt. 

However, Garda Motherway said in terms of the very low amount of the alleged debt and the very large amount of drugs, with which he was caught, the gardaí did not find the "debt" explanation credible.

Garda Motherway said the drugs were found scattered around various locations of the house in half-kilo quantities. 

He said from the Garda point of view, Greg Ahern was “an integral part of an organised crime group”.