Kildare €2m drugs case accused in court again
Allegation
A man charged in connection with a drugs find as well as the discovery of some €112,000 in cash and a pill manufacturing facility has appeared again in court.
John Donaghy, 59, whose address was given as Ballynamullagh, Carbury, had the case adjourned again, after appearing at Naas District Court via videolink.
According to the Garda Press Office, members of the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau seized cocaine and cannabis valued in excess of €2.1m, as well as over €112,000 cash following searches in Kildare and Westmeath on Saturday July 15.
It’s alleged that during an initial search, gardaí seized approximately 29kgs of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of around €2m and €112,050 in cash was also seized.
As part of follow up searches, a pill manufacturing facility was allegedly discovered. Cannabis with an estimated street value of €125,000 was allegedly seized along with other drug paraphernalia. A cannabis cultivation facility was also discovered, it was claimed.
A second court hearing was told that the case arose from an intelligence-led operation conducted by the Garda National Organised Crime Bureau against an organised crime group in County Kildare.
The court was told that a property near Carbury was placed under surveillance and a van was seen arriving at the home of Mr Donaghy, who met the driver and at his home and took two refuse bags from the red van and placed them into a Mondeo vehicle. It was also claimed that the defendant had changed his name by deed poll to Donaghy but a new British passport, which was found in the house, had been issued in his previous name.
The case has been adjourned to September 28 at the request of Sgt Brian Jacob, who requested a remand in custody while directions are awaited from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The defendant indicated he was consenting to this.