Three held without bail after major drug seizure and alleged cocaine processing site uncovered

A court in Kildare ordered three men to remain in custody after detectives linked them to a large cannabis shipment collected at the airport and a suspected narcotics laboratory found on rural land.

Three held without bail after major drug seizure and alleged cocaine processing site uncovered

A district judge refused to release three defendants on bail following allegations involving a substantial drug shipment and a suspected narcotics manufacturing operation in rural Kildare.

The case centres on events of June 23rd, when two of the accused — a 31-year-old living in north Dublin and a 44-year-old from County Meath — allegedly picked up a sealed pallet containing 32 kilograms of cannabis from a cargo terminal at Dublin Airport. Detectives say the pair wore high-visibility jackets during the collection. The consignment, with an estimated street value of €640,000, was later moved to a yard near Ballymore Eustace, where officers moved in and detained both men along with a 36-year-old whose nearby land allegedly housed a suspected cocaine laboratory.

During interviews, the younger Dublin-based suspect reportedly stated he earned just €350 for transporting the load. He also allegedly conceded that a quantity of cannabis worth €1,500 was present at his home, which investigators subsequently located. The Meath-based defendant maintained he thought he was collecting vehicle parts and was unaware of the pallet's actual contents, according to garda testimony.

Each of the first two men offered a €10,000 surety in a bid for temporary release. A solicitor representing them highlighted family connections, schooling history, and employment in Ireland as reasons they would not abscond. However, the presiding judge determined the offences were too serious to justify bail, noting that the greater the alleged crime, the stronger the incentive to fail to appear for trial. The third accused also failed in his application and agreed to remain in custody over the weekend.

All three are scheduled to appear again by video link in mid-July.

Source: Kildare Nationalist

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