A 47-year-old man, Philip Lawless, from Leixlip, Co Kildare, has been brought before the Dublin District Court following his arrest in connection with a significant drug seizure worth over €3.2 million in Dublin.
Lawless, a grandfather and father-of-four, faced six charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act related to the seizure of cannabis and cocaine during a search of a storage facility in the Ballymount Industrial Estate.
Garda Tara Higgins of the Dublin Crime Response Team provided details in court, stating that the operation resulted in the confiscation of 115kg of cannabis valued at €2.3 million and 10 kilograms of cocaine valued at €700,000. Additionally, a follow-up search in Dublin’s North Inner City led to the recovery of one kilogram of cannabis resin worth €6,000.
The accused was charged with three counts of possession and possession for sale or supply of illegal substances. Garda Higgins indicated that the charges might be upgraded due to the substantial value of the drugs seized.
During the court proceedings, defence barrister Kevin McCrave sought bail for Lawless, highlighting his lack of prior convictions and his role as the sole provider for his family, with dependents relying on him.
However, Garda Higgins opposed the bail application, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Despite the defence’s arguments, Ms Justice Marie Quirke denied the bail application, emphasizing the severity of the charges and the objection from law enforcement.
As a result, Philip Lawless was remanded to Cloverhill Prison until his next court appearance at Cloverhill District Court via video link on Tuesday, 9 April.
Related
