The transportation of dangerous guns can be considered more serious than transporting drugs because of the potentially "catastrophic repercussions", a judge has warned.
Judge Carroll Moran made his comments at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday where a man was jailed for three years for possession of a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Ibrihme Hassan, a native of Egypt but with an address at Celbridge, Co Kildare, claimed to gardaí he was in Limerick collecting the Sphinx semi-automatic pistol for a Dublin criminal described in court as one of the country's most "serious criminals".
The 36-year-old had initially denied having the firearm at Prospect Hill, Limerick, on June 14th last and a second charge of having five rounds of ammunition in his possession on the same date.
However, the father of one who is married to an Irish woman, changed his plea to guilty on day two of his trial which took place earlier this month.
Yesterday, at Hassan's sentencing hearing, Judge Moran said the transportation of dangerous guns could be considered more serious an offence than the transportation of illegal drugs.
This, he added, was due to the fact that the consequences of transporting firearms "can have catastrophic repercussions".
"The Oireachtas has given a strong message to the courts that possession of drugs for illegal supply is to be treated harshly. So what's a judge to do with the transportation of guns which might be more serious?" the judge asked.
"I'm saying this to underline how the seriousness of this offence must be considered," he said.
During the case, evidence was heard that Hassan was arrested by gardaí in Limerick after they found a Sphinx automatic pistol and five rounds of ammunition in the glove compartment of a car he had been travelling in.
The weapon was loaded and ready for use, according to a garda witness.
A silencer had also been attached to the weapon, which meant the gun would not have been heard if it was fired in a crowded place, the court heard.
Before imposing the three-year sentence yesterday, Judge Moran said he accepted evidence that Hassan was a chronic heroin user who was used by serious criminals for the purpose of transporting this gun.
He also accepted that this was done by the accused for the purpose of paying off a heroin debt of €1,000.
Judge Moran said he had also taken into account the fact that Hassan had no previous convictions and the "difficulty for a Muslim to be incarcerated in an Irish prison".