Two men charged with having cannabis at Dublin supermarket

Two men have been charged over the handover of a rucksack containing €100,000 worth of cannabis at a supermarket in Dublin.

Thorsten Brady (23), from Larkhill, Westport, Co Mayo, and Wong Chung Sing (28), with an address at Church Street, Dublin, were charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and possessing it for the purpose of sale or supply at Tesco on Parnell Street following the seizure on Wednesday.

Garda Aisling Dillon told Judge Bryan Smyth at Dublin District Court on Friday that Mr Brady made no reply when he was charged. She objected to bail, citing the seriousness of the case which she said involved €100,000 worth of cannabis.

She alleged Mr Brady was caught “red-handed” by gardaí on patrol who noticed him acting suspiciously.

Garda Dillon said it was alleged Mr Brady and another male were observed in a suspected drugs transaction and he had a back-pack on him containing drugs.

Following his arrest, he was detained for questioning under the Drug Trafficking Act. She agreed with defence solicitor Stephen O’Mahony that Mr Brady, “maintained a narrative of innocence during the period of detention”.

Pleading for bail, the solicitor said Mr Brady has an infant child with his partner but bail in the sum of €5,000 could be lodged. His passport has been handed over to gardaí, Judge Bryan Smyth noted.

Granted bail

He granted bail to Mr Brady after the €5,000 was brought to court by a family member. He ordered him to sign on three times a week at Westport Garda station, provide gardaí with a contact phone number and not apply for new travel documents. He was also told he must live at an address at The Arches, Newport, Co Mayo.

Judge Smyth ordered him to appear again on July 27th for directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions to be obtained.

Co-defendant, Mr Sing, a Malaysian national, deferred his bail application and was remanded in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court next Friday.

Garda Donal O’Sullivan objected to bail, citing fears that Mr Sing would not turn up for his trial. He alleged the accused had stated he had €7,000 and this was “financial means to flee the jurisdiction”.

Mr Sing listened to the proceedings with the help of a translator.

Legal aid was granted to both defendants.