Court hears of €134,000 drugs operation in Tralee
DETAILS of an elaborate Garda sting operation to capture a man suspected of importing €134,000 worth of cannabis into Ireland have been revealed at Tralee Circuit Criminal Court.
The court is currently hearing the case of 40-year-old South African man Premier Mthethwa, of 35 Cnoc Gorm, Knocknacuig, Tralee who is charged with importing €134,000 of cannabis through Dublin Airport on October 3 2006.
He is also facing charges of possession of the drug and possession for sale or supply.
Judge Ray Fulham has been told how customs and excise officers in Dublin Airport intercepted the drugs and passed them on to the Kerry Garda Division Drugs Unit who then set up a sting operation.
The court heard that Tralee gardaí, who were acting on confidential intelligence, told Customs and Excise officers that a 16 kilo consignment of cannabis was expected to arrive at Dublin Airport on October 3. Tralee was the intended destination of the package.
After the package, sent from Pretoria in South Africa and addressed to a Roeland Franz of Cnoc Gorm, Tralee, was intercepted it was passed on to the Kerry drugs unit.
Gardaí in Tralee then borrowed a DHL courier truck and a DHL uniform and paperwork and brought the package containing the drugs to 35 Cnoc Gorm, Knocknacuig, Tralee.
When the disguised garda reached the address he met Mr Mthethwa who, the court was told, signed for the package using the name Roeland Franz and took possession of the box. The undercover garda then left the scene and contacted his superiors.
Detective Declan Liddane, head of the Kerry Divisional Drugs Unit told that court that a short time later Premier Mthetwha left the house in his car and was stopped at the entrance to the Cnoc Gorm estate by an unmarked garda car.
Following a search of his vehicle, the suspect package was uncovered and Mr Mthethwa was arrested and taken to Tralee Garda Station where he was interviewed.
A subsequent examination of the box's contents revealed 11.219 killograms of cannabis with an estimated street value of €134,000, Det Liddane told the court.
Counsel for Premier Mthethwa, Dermot McKeon SC, told the court that it was his client's contention that he had never signed for the drugs nor handled the package and that gardaí had left the package outside his front door.
The case continues.
- SIMON BROUDER sbrouder@kerryman.ie
