Two women and man granted bail after being charged in connection with €1m drug seizure

TWO women and a man have been granted bail after they were charged in connection with a €1m drug seizure in Co. Meath.

Gardai recovered suspected cocaine, cannabis, and tablets, and arrested three people following a number of searches on Thursday evening.

At approximately 9:20pm, gardai from Navan Detective Unit and the Meath Divisional Drug Unit, intercepted a vehicle in Slane.

During a search of this vehicle, they located and seized about €70,000 worth of cocaine.

In a follow up search of a house in Wilkinstown, Co. Meath, later that evening, gardai allegedly found about €480,000 of cannabis, as well as approximately €400,000 of suspected tablets and approximately €70,000 of suspected cocaine.

Grainne Fennessey, 30, of Tara Court Green, Navan, Co. Meath was charged with possessing cocaine for sale or supply in Slane on April 29 contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Lisa Goonery, 32, from Coghalstown, Wilkinstown, and Mark Byrne, 28, of Reask Green, Navan, were charged with possessing cannabis for sale or supply in Coghalstown on the same date.

The three were brought to appear before Judge John Campbell at Dublin District Court on Saturday.

There was no objection to bail.

Their solicitors said the defendants had agreed to abide by conditions sought by investigating gardai.

Judge Campbell ordered them to provide gardai with their mobile phone numbers, to surrender passports and not to apply for new travel documentation, to sign on regularly at their local garda stations and to have no contact with each other.

Releasing them, he ordered the three, who remained silent during the brief hearing, to appear at Trim District Court on 1st June next.

The court heard mother-of-two Grainne Fennessey made no reply when charged. Her solicitor Maurice Regan said Ms Fennessey was a carer for her mother and also for another family member with a chronic illness.

Judge Campbell heard that Ms Goonery, also a mother of two, had a child with a debilitating illness and she was anxious to get home.

The two women were granted legal aid.

Mr Byrne, a ground worker, also made no reply when charged at Navan station, said Garda Matthew McKenna.

Solicitor Glen Lynch said a statement of Mr Byrne's means for a legal aid application will be furnished at the next hearing.