A RAID by Department of Agriculture staff and gardai in Co Kildare in 1991 led to the biggest seizure of illegal animal growth promoters, hormones and antibiotics in the history of the State, Newbridge District Court was told yesterday.
The court heard there was enough material to dose 20,000 cattle.
Judge Thomas Ballagh imposed 22 concurrent eight month jail terms as well as fines totalling £22,000. He granted bail of £500 in addition to two independent sureties of £10,000 each in the event of an appeal.
Diarmuid O'Keeffe (62), of Cutbush, The Curragh, Co Kildare, admitted 22 charges relating to the possession, sale and importation of clenbuterol, also known as "angel dust", antibiotics and hormones on various dates in September 1991 in Kildare town and Newbridge.
Mr Declan Holmes, a Department of Agriculture official, said search warrants were secured on September 13th following intelligence received from judicial proceedings in Holland.
A search of the defendant's car uncovered a recipe for illegal growth promoters and a letter in dictating items could be supplied from the Netherlands. Another letter outlined how items could be brought into Ireland under another name and the search also revealed a price list.
He added that the defendant operated a company at the Kildare Enterprise Centre in Kildare town engaged in the legitimate sale of animal remedies.
The defendant operated a number of units at the centre and, as he opened a unit in the presence of Mr Holmes, he said. "I'm in the shit now."
Another unit, entered by force, housed the mixing plant for the hormones and the search party discovered work benches, face masks and weighing scales. Two boxes and a bag, each of which contained a kilo of clenbuterol, were also found.
Mr Holmes said the operation resulted in a major seizure and gardai preserved the scene over night before the items were brought to the Department.
The following day the defendant said he was in possession of 23 kilos of a substance containing clenbuterol and a subsequent search located further prohibited substances.
Mr Holmes said the find included hormone implant pellets, hormone cocktails and clenbuterol.
It was the first time a mixing plant had been found. Department of Agriculture staff had been searching for such an operation for years.
By using the price list, Mr Holmes said, the black market value of the items amounted to £230,000. Additional items, which were not the subject of prosecutions, were valued at £196,000.
The defendant had been trading legitimately under two company names, both at the Kildare Enterprise Centre.
Mr Holmes added it was a big problem trying to track down illegal promoters and antibiotics and the operation broke one of the biggest importation operations in Ireland.
Cross examined by Mr David Sutton, defending, the witness said O'Keeffe did not declare all the units he held at the start, but did co-operate when these were found. He took responsibility for all the items discovered. The defend ant was a substantial player in the animal remedies market, but his business had since been sold.
Mr Tommy Adams, a Department of Agriculture veterinary surgeon, said four different antibiotics were found that could only be administered on the advice of a vet. He said some of the hormones found were still used in veterinary practice but were banned for growth promotion purposes.