Men allegedly transported 32kg of cannabis in Kildare were paid €350 each, court hears

TWO Men who allegedly collected 32Kgs of cannabis before their apprehension led to the discovery of a suspected cocaine lab in rural Kildare were paid €350 each, a court was told.

The claim emerged during a sitting of Naas District Court on Thursday where two men, Deniss Drozdovs (31), Dooling House, Clare Hall, Dublin 17; and Victors Aleksejevs (44), of Northlands, Bettystown, Co Meath, both failed in their application for bail – despite each offering a €10,000 bail surety.

The third man Maurice Kenny (36) of Hillfort Lodge, Kill, upon whose property in Donode Big, Ballymore Eustace the cocaine lab was allegedly discovered, failed to have his application heard on Thursday because of time constraints and the size of the court list Mr Kenny agreed to a voluntary remand in further custody over the weekend after Judge Desmond Zaidan promised to hear his application first thing on Monday morning, despite it being a Family Law day, however even then he failed, and he too was remanded into custody to re-appear by videolink this Thursday (16 July) for progression.

The pair are presently with possession of drugs, and possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply of cannabis.

Because custody was at issue, solicitor Mark O’Sullivan was at liberty to defend Mr Drozsdovs and Mr Aleksejevs, despite the ongoing solicitors’ strike.

Mr Drozdovs applied first, with Detective Garda Tracey O’Reilly from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) leading the State’s objection to bail.

Det O’Reilly said the state was objecting on two grounds, namely seriousness of the charges, and the likelihood of his re-offending to recoup the financial loss of the seizure.

She outlined to the court that on 23 June the two men arrived at Swissport Cargo Terminal at Dublin Airport (not Dublin Port as reported last week) in hi-vis jackets to unload a sealed pallet allegedly containing 32Kgs of cannabis, worth €640,000.

“They drove to Punchestown where they transferred the pallet to a silver Transit which was followed to a yard in Ballymore Eustace where all three men were arrested,” the detective said.

She explained how Mr Drozdovs was taken to Kildare Garda Station that day “where he made certain admissions” including that he was paid just €350 for the job and admitted to having a further €1,500 worth of cannabis at his home, which was discovered in a subsequent search.

The detective said the defendant had been caught “red handed” and “given the value of the drugs seized we believe there is a serious possibility of his re-offending”.

Cross-examining, Mr O’Sullivan accepted the “very serious nature of the allegations” but added: “He didn’t just sit on his hands and say nothing. He made admissions?” Detective O’Reilly conceded this but added: “he gave a very vague account of the delivery”.

“He said he was asked by a friend to do a job for €350, but didn’t know what was in it,” she said.

In mitigation, Mr O’Sullivan told how Mr Drozdovs was living in Ireland for 21 years, has a pre-teen son with his wife who works in AIB, did his Leaving Cert in St Finian’s Community College in Swords, Co Dublin, and that his mother and stepfather lived here also.

When he said his client was willing to offer the €10,000, Judge Zaidan turned to the garda and asked her: “What would be your conditions?” “I’d have to verify if it was independent surety,” she said, and the judge gave her until after lunch to do this.

When court resumed the judge again turned to Detective O’Reilly and asked: “do you think bail conditions would be appropriate?” Det O’Reilly replied: “No. I wasn’t put on notice of this money.” Mr O’Sullivan then called Mr Drozdovs’ stepfather Raphael Jakubakov, who testified that he lives in a mortgaged home in Tyrellstown, Dublin 15 with the defendant’s mother and explained how €5,000 of the offered money “came from our savings, for the rainy days”.

However, he admitted the other €5,000 came from money that was “kept in the house” but never lodged anywhere.

“I would have serious concerns about that, because of the lack of a paper trail,” said Det O’Reilly.

“He went to primary school, secondary school, married her, son here, mother lives here, and to say he’d give all that up?” argued Mr O’Sullivan.

“He made no admissions with regard to the pallet, and used a van from his work,” said the detective.

“He is a flight risk as he and his wife are only renting, and the €5,000 from the house only heighten my fears,” she added.

“It’s extraordinary to suggest that because a person is renting, they won’t turn up for court,” protested Mr O’Sullivan.

In summation, Judge Zaidan noted that Mr Drozdovs “has no criminal history, nor any history of skipping bail” and that “he’s allowed the presumption of innocence”.

However, he added: “There’s no doubt in my mind, the more serious the offence, the greater the likelihood to skip bail, therefore I am satisfied the objection by the State is well founded … strict bail could not be granted.” He remanded Mr Drozdovs back into custody, to re-appear by videolink on 16 July.

A little later Mr Aleksejevs appeared from the cells, also defended by Mr O’Sullivan, but this time it was Detective Brian Fahey – also from the GNDOCB – who opposed his application.

He told the court how Mr Aleksejevs was the passenger in the van but said: “I believe he has a bigger role in this”.

“He was interviewed four times, acknowledged he collected the pallet, but said he didn’t know what it was,” said Det Fahy.

Det Fahy added: “He still has ties with Latvia and returns there regularly … this seizure will have a severe impact on the criminal group … these are the grounds (for objecting),” he added.

“He said he was being paid to collect car parts at Dublin Airport,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

“He is not a flight risk with two daughters in national school and university, and a mortgage. You think he’d give all that up?” he argued.

However, the judge ruled “the objection of the state is well-founded”, and Mr Alekesjevs was also remanded back into custody, to re-appear this Thursday (16 July) by videolink.

A very similar argument, and fate, befell Kenny on Monday morning (13 July), despite efforts from solicitor Brian Larkin.