Dublin man jailed 3.5 years after €280,000 cocaine haul found in van and home

Ben Murray (23) from Perrystown was sentenced after nearly 4kg of cocaine was seized during a routine van stop in Dublin 8. He admitted collecting and storing drugs for €200.

Dublin 8 van stop uncovers nearly 4kg of cocaine across two locations

A 23-year-old Dublin man has been jailed for three and a half years after gardaí discovered almost €280,000 worth of cocaine during a routine traffic stop, dublinpeople.com reports.

Ben Murray, of Rockfield Avenue, Perrystown, Dublin 12, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of drugs for sale or supply.

The case began on 26 March 2025, when gardaí on patrol in Dublin 8 noticed a white Fiat van spinning its wheels at a junction. The van turned into the Iveagh Trust Flat complex, where officers stopped the vehicle and spoke with Murray, who was driving and appeared nervous and evasive.

A shopping bag containing white powder was visible under the front passenger seat. A search of the van uncovered a second, smaller bag of cocaine and a weighing scales. In total, 1.16kg of cocaine with a street value of €81,660 was found inside the vehicle.

Murray told gardaí there were further drugs at his home and directed them to where they could be found. A subsequent search of his Perrystown property revealed just over 2.8kg of cocaine in his bedroom and in a vehicle parked outside. More than 2,500 alprazolam tablets worth approximately €5,000 were also recovered, along with several mobile phones.

Caroline Latham BL, prosecuting, told the court the combined value of the cocaine seized across the van, the second vehicle and Murray's home came to €279,130.

Murray was co-operative throughout his garda interview and took full responsibility for all the drugs. He told investigators he had been offered €200 to collect the cocaine and weighing scales and deliver them to another location.

Murray has five previous convictions, all for road traffic offences, which post-date this incident. The investigating garda agreed with defence counsel Mark Thompson SC that Murray came to police attention solely because of his manner of driving, and that he was not previously on the garda radar.

The court was told Murray made full admissions, has a history of addiction and has engaged with support services. His family are described as pro-social and supportive, though they do not condone his offending. Thompson said Murray has no trappings of wealth and was not at the top or bottom of the drug supply chain — he was bagging drugs for others and storing them at two separate locations. It was also accepted that Murray built up a drug debt, was placed under pressure and gave no details about those who owned the drugs out of fear.

A letter of apology and character letters from friends and family were handed to the court.

Imposing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe described the matter as "inherently serious" and noted the "considerable volume" of cocaine in Murray's possession as an aggravating factor. While acknowledging that his driving had effectively exposed him — and that he made full admissions — she observed he had also been "caught red-handed."

The judge said Murray had played an "active role" in moving, storing and bagging drugs, which she described as a "scourge" on all aspects of society.

Judge Crowe said the court could depart from the presumptive mandatory minimum sentence of ten years given the circumstances of the case. Having considered the mitigation and Murray's personal circumstances, she imposed a sentence of four years, with the final six months suspended on strict conditions. The suspension was granted to incentivise Murray's rehabilitation. He was also directed to undergo 12 months of Probation Service supervision upon release.

Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)