Former Defence Forces member appears on €950,000 drugs charge

PAUL MURPHY

A 56 year-old former member of the Defence Forces appeared at Trim District Court today (Thursday) charged with the unlawful possession of €950,000 worth of drugs at a storage park in Ashbourne last November.
Emmanuel Smullen with an address at Curraghbeg Cottages, Curraghbag, Ardee, Co Louth was charged with alleged possession of 124 kilos of cannabis resin, cannabis herb and cocaine at the N2 Storage Park, Donaghmore, Ashbourne on 15th November last. Detective Garda Eamon Tighe gave evidence of having arrested the accused at his home yesterday (Wednesday). The seizure of the drugs followed an intelligence-led investigation, the detective said. He added that he would be objecting to bail on account of the seriousness of the charges. The court was told that the accused had been in the Defence Forces for 12 years but had become a tai chi instructor and was was currently unemployed.

 Judge Cormac Dunne noted that the accused, who was married with two children aged three and five, and also has two children in their 30s, had no arrest warrant history, and remanded him in custody with consent to his own bail of €100 with an independent surety of €15,000 in cash. The judge told defence counsel Niall Gallagher that he was imposing conditions that the accused reside at his present address, that he sign on daily at Drogheda Garda Station between 9am and 9pm, that he observe a curfew between 11pm and 8am, that he be available at all times at a designated mobile phone number, that he surrenders his passport and agrees not to apply for any travel document. The accused was remanded to Cloverhill Court on 3rd May next.