Courts

Four men accused of conspiring to import drugs remanded in custody for four weeks

Arrests followed Garda operation in which truck and SUV stopped at Tragumna Pier and a camper van halted in Leap earlier this month

21/04/2017 STOCK: The Courts of Criminal Justice on Parkgate St. Dublin Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times The Criminal Courts of Justice Exterior view CCJ
Solicitors for the four accused men said their clients consented to the four-week extension. Photograph: Dave Meehan
David Forsythe
Olivia Kelleher
Wed Mar 27 2024 - 14:38

Four men who were among 10 people arrested earlier this month in connection with conspiring to import drugs into Ireland have been remanded in custody for four weeks to allow for the preparation of books of evidence.

Seán Curran (37), of Carrickyheenan, Aughnacloy, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh; Kiumaars Ghaibiri (51), of Rotterdam, Netherlands; Ali Mazidi (49), of South Banke, Plauts 40, 3012HB, Netherlands; and Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz (45), of no fixed address in Spain, appeared at Bantry District Court on Wednesday.

The men are charged with conspiracy with others to import controlled drugs worth in excess of €13,000 into the State between February 27th and March 14th last.

The men were arrested in west Cork when gardaí stropped a truck and an SUV at Tragumna Pier and a camper van in the village of Leap as part of an operation into alleged organised crime.

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Insp Triona O’Mahony said it was the State’s intention to apply for a four-week extension to the period of custody with the men’s consent.

Solicitors for the four accused said their clients consented to the extension. Judge James McNulty remanded all four men in custody to appear again at Bantry District Court on April 24th.

Two others charged in connection with the matter - Juan Antonio Gallardo (55), of Turina Street, Cadiz, Spain and Aleksander Milic (26), of Svetorgorska, Belgrade, Serbia - on Tuesday consented to a further four-week period in custody.

Meanwhile, four other men charged in connection with the matter have indicated that they plan to apply for bail in the High Court.

At a sitting of the Cork District Court on Wednesday, defence solicitor Eddie Burke said his clients Angel Serran Padilla (39), of Malaga, Spain, and Pedro Padio Ojeda Ortega (35), of Cadiz, Spain, were consenting to a continuing remand in custody until April 10th to facilitate the obtaining of DPP directions.

Mr Burke told Judge Mary Dorgan that bail applications would be made for his clients at the High Court.

She said that if the either or both of the men secured bail in the High Court they would be obliged to attend Cork District Court in person next month.

Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer said his clients Raul Garcia Tabares (48), of Cadiz, Spain, and Anuar Rahui (41), of Marbella, Spain, were also making High Court bail applications. They were remanded in custody to appear before Cork District Court on April 16th.