A lorry driver was found guilty of importing £1.5 million worth of ecstasy tablets into Dublin Port at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
During the three-week trial, the court heard that Declan Donaghy (27), of Parkview, Newtownclougher, Newry, Co Down, collected the drugs from an English supplier on behalf of a Dundalk-based drug dealer. Donaghy had pleaded not guilty to having the ecstasy for sale or supply at Santry Avenue, Santry, in April 1998.
Donaghy showed little reaction as the verdict was read out, but his wife bowed her head throughout the rest of the court sitting.
Gardai said they had kept Donaghy's lorry under surveillance after it arrived at Dublin Port. When the lorry turned off Santry Road, Donaghy was stopped.
Two hold-all bags uncovered in the back of the vehicle were found to contain more than 101,000 ecstasy tablets. Donaghy later told gardai he was due to hand over the bags to a man at a haulage depot in Ballymun. He said he believed he was smuggling cigarettes and hadn't looked inside the bags.
After the jury returned an 11-1 verdict, Judge Frank O'Donnell remanded Donaghy in custody for sentencing on April 27th.