Four appear in court over seizure of €8.5m of suspected cannabis

The four were arrested on Friday when detectives with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) allegedly uncovered 426kilos of cannabis at U Store It Self Storage, M50 Business Park, Ballymount Road Upper

Gardai discovered €8.5m worth of suspected cannabis at a storage lock-up in Dublin allegedly rented by a transnational organised crime group for "onward distribution" of drugs, a court heard.

Raymond Hall, 58, of Abbeylands, Duleek, Co Meath, Onkar Singh, 45, an Indian national with an address in Zwaluwstraat, Maassluis, Netherlands, Buta Ram, 52, also from India but with an address at Lundens Straat, Rotterdam, in the Netherlands, and Nicolae Onica, 31, from Moldova but living in Well Road, Maryborough Village, Portlaoise, Co Laois appeared at Dublin District Court on Monday.

The four were arrested on Friday when detectives with the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) allegedly uncovered 426kilos of cannabis at U Store It Self Storage, M50 Business Park, Ballymount Road Upper.

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A bail hearing was told the suspected drugs were kept there was unbeknownst to the storage unit's operator.

GNDOCB Detectives Mark Donovan, Joe Gavin, Gavin Curran and Patrick Roche told Judge John Cheatle that the defendants "made no reply" when charged with unlawfully possessing the suspected cannabis and having it for the purpose of sale or supply, contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Raymond Hall made no bail application.

However, Mr Singh, a fruit ripening businessman and a married father of two, Mr Ram, a cleaning firm owner, and van driver Mr Onica applied to be released with conditions.

Detective Garda Curran objected to their release from custody due to the seriousness of the case; he alleged a heavy goods vehicle arrived at the unit, and Mr Singh and Ram took delivery of 24 pallets containing cardboard boxes.

The officer alleged that Mr Onica arrived in a Ford Transit van, and Mr Hall got there in a car and started watching the area.

It was claimed Mr Singh and Ram loaded seven boxes in the van when gardai arrested them. The boxes contained "cannabis", and a further substantial amount was allegedly found in the storage lock up.

Detective Garda Curran claimed the seizure involved a transnational organised criminal group of which Mr Singh was a "trusted member".

It was alleged that gardai received confidential information about the rented lock-up unit's use for storage and "onward distribution" of drugs to other criminals.

Mr Ram, a married father of three, told gardai he had a cleaning firm in Holland, where he had citizenship since moving there in 1993.

The court heard Mr Ram told gardai he did not know anything about the cannabis and that he had gone to the unit because Mr Singh, whom he met on a flight to Dublin, had some wholesale business.

Mr Ram and Singh claimed they came to Ireland for a holiday last week, but the detective believed they were at the unit to take delivery of the cannabis consignment.

The court heard they did not have any prior convictions.

Gardai found a "burner" phone with one contact saved, "Gerry Logistics", and gardai recovered two other phones.

The detective said the seizure was a considerable financial loss to the criminal group and described the venture as "pretty sophisticated".

Mr Onica, who has lived in Ireland since 2015, claimed he was offered work by a man named Gerry.

The court heard that he told gardai that he drove his car to a petrol station in Dublin, met Mr Hall, took possession of the van, and drove it to the storage unit. It was alleged Mr Hall drove there in Mr Onica's car.

Defence counsel Kevin McCrave said Mr Onica had been on an app to get hired for van driving work to earn extra money, which his partner also told the court.

Detective Garda Curran said the GNDOCB did not accept that and said the accused would not give access to one of the three phones found.

Counsel suggested his client did not know what was in the back of the van, and the detective accepted that he had not gotten out of the vehicle during loading.

Mr McCrave said the father of two had the presumption of innocence, a home in Portlaoise and a mortgage and was in a relationship with his partner for seven years.

He submitted that his client was distinguished from other defendants and did not arrive in the country last week. He also said Mr Onica had no warrant history and worked as a haulage driver for a company in Ireland for five years.

The court provided translators to the defendants.

Judge Cheatle refused Mr Singh and Ram's application for bail due to the seriousness of the charges and their lack of ties to the state.

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