Co Clare man charged in connection with €2m drugs seizure granted bail

A COUNTY CLARE man charged in connection with an alleged €2 million drugs seizure has secured bail in the High Court, a court has heard.

At Ennis District Court, solicitor, Stiofán Fitzpatrick said that Odhran O’Brien (32) has secured bail and sought a lengthy adjournment to allow the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) make directions in the case.

Mr O’Brien of Cahermurphy, Kilmihil, Co Clare has secured High Court bail after being refused bail at Ennis District Court last month.

In the case, Mr O’Brien is charged with having in his possession cannabis for the purpose of selling at Cahermurphy, Kilmihil, Co Clare on 8 May last contrary to Section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.

Mr O’Brien is also charged with the unlawful possession of cannabis on the same date at the same address.

At an unsuccessful bail hearing at Ennis District Court last month, Mr O’Brien told the court that he never knew that three pallets couriered to his grandmother’s address in west Clare on 8 May contained an alleged €2 million drugs consignment.

Mr O’Brien said: “Can I say something? I never knew what was on that pallet – it was my grandmother’s address. I was told that it was car parts.”

During a contested bail hearing, Mr O’Brien told Judge Adrian Harris “I have no words for the situation that I am in.”

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Mr O’Brien’s sister and partner were in court for the hearing and Mr O’Brien said: “I just want to go back to my family.”

Mr O’Brien said that he would agree to any conditions connected to him securing bail.

He said: “Anything that I am asked to do I will do.”

Referring to his family, Mr O’Brien said: “I am so sorry for them for what has happened.”

Det Garda Dáithí King told the court that Mr O’Brien had been caught ‘red-handed’ concerning the alleged drugs seizure.

Det Garda King said that gardaí discovered three pallets located in a shed at the address and these were wrapped in plastic and subsequently found to contain 40 packets of suspected cannabis.

He said that the cannabis totalled 100kgs of suspected cannabis and the State would value the drugs at €2 million.

He said that the pallets were received by Mr O’Brien from a courier earlier that day.

Sgt John Burke said DPP directions and analysis from Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) “will take a while” and said that Mr O’Brien could be remanded on bail to 7 October to appear at Ennis District Court.