Five members of the Garda drugs squad had to dismantle part of a high-powered car belonging to a suspected Cork dealer to find drugs they knew he had hidden somewhere in the vehicle.
"We had to use screwdrivers and other equipment to get at the air vent behind the dashboard," said Det Sgt Tom Myers, giving evidence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
They eventually found cocaine, cannabis and LSD worth a total of £2,000 plus £2,630 in cash, a "tick list" of names and a number of empty bank bags used to package supplies for buyers.
Before the court was Mr Mitchell Crowley (22) an apprentice fitter, of Kilnagleary, Carrigaline, Co Cork, who pleaded guilty to three charges of having drugs for sale or supply on December 30th, 1997.
Crowley told gardai in a statement he started using cannabis after the Leaving Cert and then progressed to ecstasy and cocaine, to which he became addicted. "I started to deal and would sell to anyone around the city."
Mr Kieran Hughes, for Crowley, said the defendant entered a two-year drugs rehabilitation programme in April last year and was determined to remain drug- and alcohol-free.
Judge Patrick McCartan praised the gardai. The guards had an exceedingly difficult job to trace drug-peddlers. The court should support them.
He said he would give defendant credit for his guilty plea and his efforts to reform. He imposed a three-year prison term, refused Mr Hughes's request for an early review and ordered forfeiture of the car and cash.