An Englishman described as a "very big-time player", who was part of a €1.5 million heroin deal between two criminal gangs on both sides of the Irish Sea, has been jailed for 12 years by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stuart Motley was arrested by gardaí, along with a second Englishman, Stephen Ryan, and an unnamed Irishman following a surveillance operation on a car which arrived in Dublin Port on February 11th, 2003, the court was told.
Gardaí followed the car to the Dead Man's Inn pub on the Old Lucan Road and swooped when Motley took the spare wheel out of the boot.
They found just over 8kg of heroin with an estimated street value of €1,478,000 concealed in the tyre.
The court heard gardaí had earlier observed Ryan taking a rucksack from the Irishman and placing it in the car, which was being driven by Motley.
Motley (37), with an address in Cala Honda on Spain's Costa del Sol, but who is originally from Luton in Bedfordshire, pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of heroin with a street value in excess of €13,000 for sale or supply on February 11th, 2003.
Judge O'Donnell said he was told Motley made no admission while in Garda custody, and because of the value and quantity of the drugs he had no doubt he was a "very big-time player".
Ryan (40), from Skelmersdale, was jailed for six years by Judge Desmond Hogan last October with the final two years suspended after he pleaded guilty to the same offence.