Gardaí were actually searching a house for illegal firearms when they discovered 340 kilos of cannabis resin, the jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.
Members of the Garda National Drugs Unit received confidential information that illegal firearms were stored in a house on Pineview Road, Tallaght. But when the house was searched, £3.4 million of cannabis resin was recovered.
Detective Sergeant Gregory Kelly of the GNDU told prosecuting counsel Ms Miriam Reynolds SC (with Miss Orla Crowe BL), when he searched the house he found a number of pot plants which contained packets of cannabis resin.
"I noticed a large number of pot plants, there were also some plants which had been taken out of their pots and their were packets of what appeared to be cannabis resin visible to me," Det Sgt Kelly told the court.
Mr Patrick Ralph (36), a courier, of Castle Village Court, Celbridge, County Kildare and Mr Eugene Kelly (24), of Sheridan Court, Dorset Street, Dublin 1 have both pleaded not guilty to seven charges of unlawful possession of cannabis resin and having it for s ale or supply on November 13th, 1997.
The pot plants had been collected from a Dutch registered truck at Johnstown Garden Centre, Co. Kildare on the morning of November 13th.
The jury has already heard that gardaí observed the two men carrying the pots to the back of the house on Pineview Road.
The jury also heard Mr Ralph proceeded with his regular work until returning to the Johnstown Garden Centre at 1.05 p.m. to collect the remaining plants and leaving then at the house in Pineview Road also.