Two men charged in connection with €8.7m drugs seizure remanded on bail

Two men, one of them a Northern Ireland native, who appeared at a court in Co Meath today charged in connection with the seizure of drugs with a street value of over €8.5 million were remanded on continuing bail to November to await instructions from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Forty-year-old Darren Callaghan, a carpenter originally from Co Tyrone but living at Grange Rath, on the Southern outskirts of Drogheda and taxi driver Garreth Ryan (38) with an address at Drumree, Co Meath had first appeared at Trim District Court on 5th August when a Garda detective told the court that the two accused had been “caught red-handed” with the drugs valued at €8.7 million at a shed at Woodcockstown, Drumree, Co Meath on 3rd August last.

Detective Val Russell told the court that an operation had been set up by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau to monitor activity at a 13-acre field in Co Meath. It was alleged that the two men were seen locking themselves into a large shed at different stages and boxes suspected of containing drugs were found in a van there.

A second van lay outside the shed and Callaghan was in possession of boxes of suspected cannabis, a small amount of cocaine and 3kg of heroin, it was alleged. Callaghan was arrested there. The court was told by Garda witnwsses that the drugs were “part of a transnational organised crime operation”.

Darren Callaghan was charged with four counts of Section 3 of the Misuse of Drug Act for possession of cannabis and heroin. He was also charged with four counts of Section 15 of the same act for possessing cannabis and cocaine for sale or supply.

Gareth Ryan was charged with a Section 3 offence and also possession for sale or supply.

At the initial hearing of the case before Judge Susan Fay a Garda said that when charged Callaghan replied “I did not know there was heroin” and Ryan made no reply when charged. At the same hearing Callaghan said that he did not intend moving from the area and was “willing to do anything to get bail”.

Conditional bail had been fixed at €20,000 (with €10,000 to be lodged in cash) for each accused. At today’s hearing of the case Judge Catherine Hayden was told that both men had been able to enter into bail last Friday and that directions were awaited from the Director of Public Prosecution. She remanded both men on continuing bail to the same court on 10th November next