Pair bailed over €1.8m cocaine 'handover' in Dublin linked to €2.2m drugs haul

By Cillian Sherlock, Press Association and Tom Tuite

TWO alleged drug distributors were caught red-handed in Dublin with €1.8 million worth of cocaine following a "handover" linked to organised crime and an overall €2.2m drug seizure, a court has heard.

Gardaí from the Dublin Crime Response Team intercepted two men at the car park area of Brandon Square, Waterville, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 on Friday.

IT technician David Royle (62), with an address at Crumlin Road, Dublin 12, and co-accused, unemployed Tomasz Nowosad (53) of Knightsbridge, Rush, Co Dublin, have been charged with possessing cocaine for sale or supply.

He appeared before Judge Stephanie Coggins at Dublin District Court on Monday.

Giving evidence, Garda Stephen Byrne said the Dublin Crime Response Team had observed and intercepted Royle and a co-accused while carrying out a handover of controlled drugs near a shop on Waterville Road, Blanchardstown, on Friday.

He alleged that the co-accused had been observed taking a Smyths shopping bag out of his car and placing it in the boot of Royle’s vehicle after they had parked beside each other and interacted.

Garda Byrne said gardaí then intercepted the vehicles and the shopping bag contained 18 kilogrammes of cocaine.

He said a follow-up address at Royle’s home uncovered four kilogrammes of suspected cannabis and approximately 5,000 MDMA or ecstasy tablets.

He put the value of the cocaine at €1.8 million, or €100 per gram, while the cannabis and MDMA were valued at approximately €56,000 and €50,000 respectively – for a total of €1,906,000.

Patrick Flynn BL, for the accused, asked the garda if the price of cocaine had gone up.

The garda told the court that the value had gone up from 70 euro per gram.

Garda Byrne said Mr Royle had been interviewed several times and made admissions relating to his involvement in sale and supply of controlled substances.

He said the accused was not remorseful in his actions and said that if he knew how much cocaine was in the shopping bag he would have requested more money and said: “I’m not sorry I did it, I’m sorry I got caught.”

The garda also alleged that the accused made an admission to being a courier who was paid 200-300 euro per kilogramme.

Garda Byrne said it was his belief Mr Royle was due to distribute the controlled substances to drug dealers in the State.

He further said it was his opinion the accused was “a trusted member of an organised crime gang involved in large-scale distribution of controlled drugs in the Dublin metropolitan region”.

Flynn said his client had no recollection of saying particular phrases quoted in court and that video interviews were not available to the sitting.

He said his client enjoyed the presumption of innocence in favour of bail and that the prosecution had to prove the case.

He also said that the value of the drugs may come down when it had all been tested.

Flynn emphasised that neither man had prior convictions and would abide by conditions. The court heard Nowosad had lived in Ireland for 20 years, had a family here and no longer had ties to Poland.

Judge O'Connell did not accept that the man was a flight risk.

Flynn also submitted that Mr Nowosad denies knowing he was moving illegal drugs, and that would be a full defence.

The pair did not apply for legal aid as they privately retained solicitors Martin O'Donnell and Morgan Redmond, who briefed counsel for the bail hearing.

They will appear again at Cloverhill District Court on Friday. On taking up bail, they must surrender passports and sign on three days a week at a local garda station.