A butcher who imported heroin worth €1.5 million as part of a major cross-channel drugs operation has been jailed for eight years by Judge Michael White at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Christy Lacken was observed by gardaí taking a number of packages from behind the door panels of his car after returning on his own on the Holyhead ferry two days after going to Britain with two other men.
He drove to the Silver Granite Pub car-park on Kennelsfort Road, Palmerstown, Co Dublin, and handed a holdall bag to two other men there.
The Garda team, who had had the gang under surveillance for some time, then moved in, and the three were arrested.
The total drugs network, including the Irish operation led by a Crumlin man described by gardaí as "a sinister criminal" and its English suppliers who were also arrested, has been wiped out as a result of what was a major operation involving Sundrive Road and Store Street officers and Garda National Drug Units, in co-operation with English police.
Lacken (40), form Lohunda Downs, Clonsilla, pleaded guilty to possession for sale or supply of the drugs on November 11th, 2001.
He had also been convicted by a jury on Thursday following a two-day trial of the unlawful possession on the same date of two sawn-off shotguns which were recovered following a search at his partner's home in Malahide.
Brian Grendon (25), of Greenfort Drive, Ronanstown, and Brian McDermot (23) of Oranmore Road, Ballyfermot, the men who got the holdall bag from Lacken, were both jailed for six years for their roles last November.
Judge White said it was a very serious offence with a substantial amount of drugs involved, and a lenghty custodial sentence had to be imposed. Lacken had also been convicted by a jury of having lethal weapons in his possession.
"You were involved with ruthless and dangerous men who would stop at nothing in pursuit of their insidious goals. The court does accept that you were minding the weapons and did not go near them, but the guns were associated with the huge drugs operation," he told Lacken.
Judge White said the maximum sentence for the drugs offence was life imprisonment, and the Oireachtas also prescribed a minimum term of 10 years unless exceptional circumstances existed. "On this basis I am satisfied that you are entitled to some discount because of the way you've dealt with the case," he said.