Five men arrested this week as part of a Garda and Revenue joint operation targeting international organised crime appeared before a special sitting of Killarney District Court amid high security on Friday night charged with conspiracy to import drugs.
The men, aged between 28 and 45, include a Serbian national with an address in Manchester, two men with addresses in Glasgow, a man from Derry and a Filipino seaman.
All were remanded in custody. The court heard the men are all on low to no incomes and there was no objection from the State to applications for legal aid.
Four of the men – Miljan Koprivica (45) Bollin Drive, Manchester; Ryan Watson (31); Mailerbeg Gardens, Modiesburn, Glasgow; Gary Monks (40) Amulree Place, Glasgow; and Conor Costello (30) Earhart Park, Madamsbank Road, Derry – have been in custody since their arrest in the early hours of Monday at Meenagohane Pier on the coast of Kerry.
They had their period of detention extended at a special court sitting in Killarney on Tuesday.
All four have been charged that on dates between January 11th and January 13th inclusive within the State they conspired with each other in a serious offence, namely the importation of controlled drugs with a value in excess of €13,000.
Feljon Lao, a 28-year-old Filipino who has been in custody since his arrest on a cargo ship in the Shannon Estuary on Tuesday, is also charged with conspiring to import drugs with a value in excess of €13,000 “with one or more people unknown”
Det Garda Alan Monaghan of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of formally arresting Mr Lao at Kilrush Garda station on Friday afternoon and said he made no reply after caution. The State’s application was to remand him in custody for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions, the court heard.
Mr Lao’s solicitor Eimear Griffin said the issue of bail did not arise because of the nature of the charge, but she was lodging an application for High Court bail.
The court was told Mr Lao worked as a seaman and earned $200 a week. Legal aid was granted.
Det Garda Donnacha Coakley of the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit gave evidence of formally arresting and charging Mr Watson on Friday afternoon at Killarney Garda station. He made no reply to the charge, the detective said.
An application for High Court bail was prepared, solicitor Padraig O’Connell said.
Judge David Waters granted Mr Watson legal aid after hearing he earned €175 a week.
Det Garda Tom O’Sullivan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in the case of Mr Monks in Killarney Garda station on Friday afternoon. He also made no reply to the charge, the court heard. His solicitor Padraig O’Connell said Mr Monks was unemployed and on disability. Judge Waters granted legal aid.
Garda Marguerite A Reilly of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau gave evidence of arresting Mr Costello in Tralee Garda station on Friday afternoon, where he made no reply when charged. The Derry man’s solicitor Brendan Ahern said an application for legal aid would be made.
Garda Damien O’Neill, also of the national crime bureau, said Mr Koprivica was arrested at 3.15pm in Tralee Garda station and he had made no reply to the charge. An application for legal aid was granted to his solicitor Pat Mann after the court heard Mr Koprivica had no income, assets or savings.
Judge David Waters remanded all five accused in custody to appear via video link in Tralee next Wednesday, January 22nd.
More than 20 members of the National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau based in Dublin Castle, along with detectives from the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit, were in court for the proceedings.
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