A haulier who was sentenced to seven years in the UK in the 1990s for possession of cocaine has claimed that £9,740 sterling found on him when he was stopped at Dublin Port last year was mainly the proceeds of the sale of a horse in England.
Joseph Gannon, Grange Park Close, Raheny, Dublin, was stopped at the port on December 4th last when the money was seized by Customs officers.
Yesterday in Dublin District Court, they successfully applied for a further detention order on the cash to allow investigations into its source to continue. Gannon did not challenge the application.
He admitted the UK conviction for cocaine possession. He had no paperwork, such as agricultural certificates or receipts, to show he had sold the horse. His only apparent source of income was a back-to-work allowance from the State. The Revenue Commissioners were aware, however, he made significant earnings in 2001 for which he had not paid tax.
Judge Clare Leonard granted a further three-month detention order.