THREE MEN have been remanded in custody after they were charged at the weekend in connection with a €500 million cocaine seizure by Naval, Garda and Customs officers in a joint operation off the west Cork coast last week.
Philip Doo (52), Christopher Wiggins (42) and David Mufford (44) were brought before a special sitting of Clonakilty District Court on Saturday night amid tight security. A force of up to 30 gardaí, including detectives armed with Uzi submachine guns, surrounded the courthouse.
The three men, all from Britain, were charged that on November 5th, 2008, on the vessel Dances with Waves, a ship not registered in any country or territory, they had possession of cocaine knowing it was intended to be imported illegally.
The offence, which is contrary to Section 34 (2) (4) of the Criminal Justice Drugs Trafficking Act 1994, carries a maximum penalty upon conviction at Circuit Court level of a a fine or seven years in jail or both.
Det Garda Ronan Cowley of the Garda National Drugs Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Mr Doo, of Rocklands House, Higher Manor Road, Brixham, Devon, and told the court that Mr Doo did not wish to reply to the charge after caution.
Det Garda David Kennedy of the Garda National Drugs Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Mr Wiggins, of Apartment Six, Block 10, Mirador de Costalita, Cancelada, Estepona, Malaga.
He said Mr Wiggins made no reply to the charge.
Det Garda Michael Bohane of the West Cork Divisional Drugs Squad gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in relation to Mr Mufford, of Flat 11, Clennon Court, Clennon Court, Torquay, Devon. He told the court Mr Mufford made no reply to the charge after caution.
State solicitor for west Cork, Malachy Boohig, said he was seeking a remand in custody for all three to appear again at Kinsale District Court next Thursday. The State would be opposing any application for bail given the seriousness of the charge.
Solicitor for Mr Doo, Flor Murphy, said his client was not seeking bail at this stage but he was seeking free legal aid as he had been unemployed for the past two months. Although he had a share in a house in the UK, he was in serious arrears in his mortgage and had no real assets.
Mr Murphy told the court that his other client, Mr Wiggins, was not applying for bail either but he was similarly seeking free legal aid as he has been living in Spain but has been unemployed there for the past number of months.
Solicitor for Mr Mufford, Myra Dineen, said she was not applying for bail for her client at this point but was seeking free legal aid as Mr Mufford was living in very modest circumstances and could not afford to pay for legal representation.
Judge James McNulty granted the State's application for a remand in custody and remanded all three, who spoke only to confirm their identities during the 10-minute hearing, to Cork Prison to appear again at Kinsale District Court on Thursday. He granted all three free legal aid.