Alleged €8.2m Kildare drugs find in court

Two men charged in connection with the discovery of a significant amount of drugs appeared in Naas District Court again on December 1.

Eric Lawlor, 46, whose address was given as Baybush House, Baybush, Maynooth, faces allegations of possessing cannabis and cocaine for the purposes of sale or supply and with a breach of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act at Cypress House, Baybush, Straffan, on February 11. He was present.

Eugene Mulligan, 49, whose address was given as Hillside Cottage, Carrigans Upper, Ballymote, County Sligo, faces an allegation of possessing cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply at Kill Hill, Kill , on February 11.

He did not attend for medical reasons.

It was claimed at a previous court hearing that following an intelligence led operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, some 314 kilograms of cannabis herb with a street value of €6.28m was found at the home of Mr Lawlor along with cocaine with a value of €770,000.

Some €18,650 in cash was also allegedly found.

It was alleged that when Mr Mulligan was stopped, some 60 kgs of cannabis herb with a street value of €1.2m was found in the Peugeot vehicle he was driving.

Det Gda Donal Donoghue told the court on December 1 that a car parked nearby had been fitted with a hidden compartment which had a magnet.

He said that he found a kilo of benzocaine which can be used as a mixing agent along with €29,000 worth of ketamine, which was found within Mr Lawlor’s property.

The garda said he also found a phone with an app which was encrypted and is used by criminal groups, along with tick lists, ledgers and a press for making cocaine.

Gda Donoghue said that there was no prior connection between the two defendants.

The case was adjourned to March 16.