A Customs officer has told a drugs trial that a detective garda said he was in Dublin Airport to see who might meet the accused, Mr Declan Griffin, when he arrived on a flight from Amsterdam.
The court was told about co-operation between the customs service and gardai when so-called "controlled deliveries" of drugs might be made, but that prior notice would be given about such operations.
Mr Griffin denies importing heroin and ecstasy which then had a total value of £1 million.
Mr Kevin Murtagh told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Det Garda Denis Palmer (now Det Sgt) first said he wanted to see if a "Peter Dunne" would meet the accused and then said he meant to say "Derek Dunne".
Another Customs and Excise official, Mr Patrick Lynch told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Coffey, that the accused made no mention of Det Sgt Palmer nor or any other garda during the 45 minutes he was with the customs officials. The witness agreed with defence counsel, Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, he knew Det Sgt Palmer and had seen him in the general customs area later that evening after the drugs were seized.
Mr Lynch said Det Sgt Palmer commented to the effect that "he didn't have that much, did he?" when told about four wrapped packages containing heroin and ecstasy found in his luggage.
He agreed with counsel this could indicate Det Sgt Palmer knew the accused would have drugs. Mr Murtagh told Mr Hartnett he had discussions earlier that day with Det Sgt Noirin O'Sullivan (now Insp) who asked customs personnel to inform her or Insp Mick Byrne of Mr Griffin's arrival as it was intended to keep surveillance on him.
Mr Griffin (29), Bunratty Road, Coolock, pleads not guilty to a total of six charges of possession of heroin and ecstasy for sale and supply, and of importing heroin and ecstasy at Dublin Airport on December 20th, 1995.
Prosecuting counsel, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, has said Mr Griffin was observed by customs officials carrying a plastic suit bag and collecting two black hold-all bags which he placed on a baggage trolley after he arrived from Amsterdam. Four packages of drugs were removed from one of the bags. The packages had been tightly wrapped in black adhesive tape.
Three packages contained 2,999.4 grams of heroin and the fourth 2,056 tablets of ecstasy.
Mr Murtagh agreed with Mr Hartnett there had been four suspicious telephone calls to the customs office. He heard airport noises in the background when he answered a call and was directed by his superior, Mr Seamus Mac an Ridire, to trawl the airport for gardai on surveillance duty.
He said he came across Det Garda Palmer and reported back the substance of their conversation to Mr Mac an Ridire.
Mr Murtagh told Mr Hartnett he believed there was some difficulty in contacting Noirin O'Sullivan. He understood Mr Mac an Ridire contacted a senior customs official, Mr Finbarr O'Leary, who was then told by Insp Byrne there was no Garda operation on Mr Griffin, but he could not recall how he came by that information.
Mr Lynch told Mr Coffey he was with Mr Mac an Ridire and Mr Murtagh when he observed Mr Griffin pick two hold-all bags off the carousel belt and put them on a luggage trolley, which he then pushed in the direction of the "blue" channel.
He examined a hold-all bag and found the packages wrapped in adhesive tape. He retrieved the airline tags. Mr Griffin made no reply when asked what was in them. Mr Mac an Ridire slit open one of the packages, which contained brown powder.
The trial before Judge Dominic Lynch is expected to continue for a fortnight.