TWO men who helped a drugs baron to set up a factory to make the drug, ecstasy, have been jailed for 10 years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Cyril Kelly praised gardai who seized almost £2 million worth of Etablets and chemical products used in the making of the drug when they raided premises in north and west Co Dublin on July 1st, 1995.
"One only has to sit in this court every day to realise the devastation wreaked on our society by illicit drugs", he said. "This operation was nipped in the bud by well organised Garda action."
Jailed for 10 years were Raymond Jones (36), Corduff Gardens, Blachardstown, and Terence Fitzsimons (47), a native, of Drimnagh, Dublin, who has lived at Lisdonnay, Castlehlayney, Co Monaghan, for some years. Jones admitted being the occupier of Wentworth House, Tandy's Lane, Lucan, and producing ecstasy there from June 10th to July 1st, 1995. He admitted seven further charges of permitting the manufacture, production and preparation of ecstasy and component chemicals and possessing and producing the drug at Spricklestown, The Ward, Co Dublin, on July 1st, 1995.
Fitzsimons admitted two charges of aiding and abetting people who produced the drug at Wentworth and Spricklestown. A third accused, Laurence Skelly (57) of Spricklestown, was given a five year suspended sentence. Judge Kelly said he was the least involved of the three.
Skelly admitted three charges of allowing the possession of ecstasy and another chemical and allowing the manufacture, production and preparation of the drug at his Spricklestown property on July 1st, 1995.
Judge Kelly suspended the final seven years of the 10 year sentences on Jones and Fitzsimons. He said his hands were "regrettably tied" because a more important person involved was given a five year sentence last year. He was a trained chemist, Brian Cooper, who was hired from England at a fee of £26,000 to produce the chemicals from which the tablets were to be made.
The Court of Criminal Appeal would be likely to overturn a longer sentence on the men due to their lesser, though important, roles.
"As with drug couriers, we have the disposable, dispensable people before the court but the more important miscreants in the hierarchy are not on view as nearly always," said Judge Kelly.
He noted the statements of Jones and Fitzsimons that they were threatened with shooting or other dire consequences when they became suspicious that they were involved in an illicit drugs operation.
Fitzsimons told gardai he was informed by a Corkman who was his contact that the gang had carried out surveillance of his home near Castleblayney and knew the movements of his wife and children. "He said my job was to get the chemicals for the gang and if I didn't, I was going to be shot."
Supt Malachy Mulligan told Judge Kelly that the man believed to be behind the E factory was quite capable of having people shot. A lot of people connected to the criminal underworld had been shot in recent years, he said. About 20 young people had died from abuse of ecstasy since about 1990.
Judge Kelly said proper regulatory controls should be placed on the purchase of chemicals which could be used together to produce illicit drugs.
Supt Mulligan said the Garda operation began when surveillance was put on a unit at Gaywood Industrial Estate, Mulhuddart, in March 1995 as a result of confidential information. It emerged that the premises had been rented by Jones for £240 a month. Chemicals bought by him for the manufacture of the drug were stored there. Fitzsimons and Skelly and others were seen entering and leaving this and other premises involved.
The surveillance led gardai to Wentworth House, and to Skelly's home and property at Spricklestown. Gardai went to Spricklestown and Jones was seen coming out of a shed. Det Insp Fitzpatrick went into the shed and saw a tablet machine in operation.
All the accused made statements admitting their roles in the operation, which was financed by a Corkman named "Alan".
The court, heard that one of the accused claimed to have met a leading drugs baron he named as George in the company of the Corkman.