A Monaghan truck driver has been jailed for five years for importing €600,000 worth of cannabis into the State.
David Mathews (27) was observed by gardaí driving his truck off the ferry at Dublin Port and transporting the drugs to his Monaghan home. There two men met him and took the cannabis to Northern Ireland. They were stopped after they crossed the Border by the PSNI and each later jailed for six years.
Mathews, Drumgola, Rockcorry, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importing 49kg of cannabis worth €608,400 at Dublin Port on November 7th, 2009.
Judge Martin Nolan noted Mathews was in financial trouble at the time and agreed to import the drugs to make some “easy money”.
Mathews was arrested at his home and gardaí found £28,360 and €4,000 in a cash box. Most of this was later forfeited to the State.
He admitted transporting the drugs and said he agreed to the job to pay off his credit union loans of €15,000. He said he knew it was illegal but did not know what type of drugs he was importing.
Remy Farrell SC, defending, said his client owned a small haulage firm at the time and he is now driving trucks for other people.
He said this conviction would make it impossible for him to continue work as an international truck driver.