A father of three who helped find a lorry driver to take part in a £1 million drugs operation for a Dublin criminal has been jailed for two years, with one suspended, by Judge Elizabeth Dunne.
Philip Whelan, of Kilbarron Park, Coolock, came to the attention of gardai during a joint Garda investigation with police in Holland. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to conspiring to import drugs in February, 2000.
Det Sgt Gregory Sheehan told Ms Martina Baxter, prosecuting, the investigation began in 1999 into the activities of the Dublin criminal who was sending large quantities of drugs and guns into Ireland.
A lorry driver was seen handing a packet to the Irish criminal and this was found to contain £100,000. The driver was stopped by Belgian authorities and 100,000 ecstasy tablets with a street value of £1 million were recovered. Det Sgt Sheehan said the investigation led to Whelan's name coming before them. Whelan admitted he had been asked if he could get a lorry driver who would help launder money by taking it out of Ireland and also run drugs back to the State from Holland.
Whelan had been promised he would be "looked after financially" for his role but received nothing. Det Sgt Sheehan agreed with Mr Brendan Grehan, defending, that this was "a once-off" offence by Whelan.
Mr Patrick Gageby SC, also for Whelan, submitted that the only evidence against him was his own admission. He asked the court to deal with it as a first offence. He said Whelan had his own employment and got involved in this one act of folly.
Judge Dunne noted that in many of these cases the main culprits who preyed on others often escaped punishment. Whelan admitted to gardai he "put two and two together" and knew money laundering was illegal but took the chance to make some easy money.
She said Whelan, as a father, would be the first to protest against the damage drugs did to society. The offence was so serious she had to jail him but suspended one year on condition that he enter a bond to remain out of trouble for five years.