Large volume of evidence blamed for 14-week delay in drugs case against 10 men in Cork
Mallow Appeared Year Of Picture: District 55 Larry Link Court 12 Gallardo Cork By Juan Turina Old Video Prison Antonio Spain Cadiz, St, Cummins From At
There is so much evidence in the case against 10 men accused of conspiring to import drugs into Ireland that it will be another 14 weeks before the case is ready to proceed, a Cork court has heard.
Two of the accused, Juan Antonio Gallardo, 55, of 12 Turina Street, Cadiz, Spain and Aleksander Milic, 26, of Svetorgorska 15, Flat 5, Belgrade, Serbia, appeared by video link from Cork Prison at Mallow District Court.
They are charged with conspiracy with others to import controlled drugs in excess of €13,000 between February 27 and March 14 into the State. They were arrested in West Cork when gardaí stropped a truck and an SUV at Tragumna Pier and a camper van in the village of Leap as part of an ongoing operation into alleged organised crime.
Detective Sergeant Michael Lyons told the court that, so far, more than 175 interviews have been carried out by 48 garda interviewers with the involvement of numerous interpreters.
He said that more than 350 garda and witness statements had been taken, and that more than 310 lines of enquiry were being pursued.
Det Sgt Lyons said that more than three terabytes of CCTV footage had been recovered which required 2,000 man hours to examine it, and that there were 10 garda officers working full-time on the investigation.
He added that an extensive examination of a rigid inflatable boat has also been carried out by the Irish Naval Service.
Court presenter Sergeant Majella O’Sullivan said it was the State’s intention to apply for a four-week extension to the period of custody with the men’s consent. The maximum permitted extension to custody without their consent is two weeks. She said that directions were still awaited from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Judge Colm Roberts said he accepted it was an important and complex international investigation but all he wanted to know was when the investigation was likely to be completed and a file sent to the DPP.
Det Sgt Lyons said that it was expected the file would be sent to the DPP in eight weeks and that a decision would be forthcoming six weeks later.
Judge Roberts told the accused men that it was likely they would be in custody for at least another 14 weeks but more likely 16 weeks before the case would be going to trial.
He added that it could take even longer if further evidence was uncovered during the investigation.
The judge said that he understood why it was taking so long and said that he just wanted to give the accused men “realistic information".
Solicitor David O’Meara, who represented both of the accused, advised them to agree to the four-week extension.
They were remanded in custody to appear again by video link from Cork Prison on August 13.