The head of the Garda National Immigration Bureau
has “no strong suspicion” that a Chinese man found in a cannabis grow house was a victim of human trafficking, the High Court has heard.
The man has remained in custody on drug charges since his arrest just over a year ago because he has no documents and no money for bail.
Det Chief Supt John O'Driscoll said he believed the man (36), who was found in a grow house containing cannabis allegedly worth an estimated €1 million, claims he is a trafficking victim "simply because of the circumstances in which he was found".
Drug charges
The officer was giving evidence opposing an application by the man, identified as a peasant farmer from Fu Jian province, for his release from prison. He has been held on drug charges following his arrest in the grow house at Henrietta Place, Dublin, on November 20th last year.
Mr Justice Gerard Hogan is hearing evidence in advance of a court inquiry into the legality of the man’s detention. Given his claim he is a victim of people trafficking, his continued detention is re-victimising him in breach of his rights under the Constitution and European Convention on Human Rights, it is alleged. The State disagrees he is a victim of trafficking on a number of grounds.
