A long-distance truck driver has been jailed for 10 years for importing £1.5 million worth of ecstasy into Dublin Port.
Judge Frank O'Donnell in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court said he hoped the message would go out to long-distance drivers around Europe that Ireland was not a soft target for drug trafficking.
Declan Donaghy (27), of Parkview, Newtowncloughoge, Newry, Co Down, was convicted last March of importing 100,000 ecstasy tablets on April 29th, 1998, and of having them for sale or supply on Santry Avenue on the same day. British police had spotted Donaghy loading the drugs into his truck at a lay-by near London.
During the trial, Donaghy had made claims that gardai had lied and had forced him to undergo a strip search. Judge O'Donnell said neither he nor the jury believed this story. In this case, the highest commendation should be paid to gardai involved.
Judge O'Donnell backdated sentence to Donaghy's arrest date on April 29th.