A man charged in connection with the seizure of drugs valued at almost €9.7 million and €1.1 million in cash during a Garda operation in Dublin and Meath has been refused bail at Blanchardstown District Court.
Andrew Pender (51), with addresses at Ely Green and Seskin View – both in Tallaght, Dublin – faces two charges relating to alleged money laundering and is also charged over the stolen Garda uniform. The remainder of the charges come under the Misuse of Drugs Act in connection with different consignments and types of drugs found during a Garda operation last Friday.
The drugs discovered included cocaine valued at €4.48 million, MDMA valued at €1.8 million, ketamine valued at €1.74 million, cannabis valued at €1.46 million and LSD valued at €120,000. Most of them were found in a container during a search at Woodfield, Ballymacarney, The Ward, Co Meath.
The court was told the majority of the seized drugs and cash were discovered in sealed blocks and evidence provided to the court alleged it was part of a significant drug dealing operation. Of the cash seized, some €1,096,000 was in 16 blocks under the seat of a Mercedes van.
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Mr Pender is also further charged relating to a stolen Garda uniform found in a barrel during the search. This consisted of a tie, tie pin, stab proof vest, handcuffs, utility belt and the other components of a Garda uniform.
Det Niall Mangan told the court further charges were likely after the drugs were tested by Forensic Science Ireland.
The judge heard the search was carried out while Mr Pender was being questioned at Finglas Garda station after being arrested in a car earlier that day.
Det Mangan told Judge David McHugh that when each of the charges was put to Mr Pender, a married father of four with no serious previous convictions, he replied “not guilty”.
The court heard he claimed he found the key to the container in Co Meath, got it copied and was “skimming” or “stealing” drugs from the haul for his own personal use.
Defence solicitor Ciaran MacLaughlin made an application for bail on behalf of Mr Pender, but gardaí objected.
Det Mangan told the court the value of the drugs seized meant, if convicted, the accused faced a minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years but possibly a life sentence. He said Mr Pender also had access to “finances” and, for that reason, as well the seriousness of the charges, he “represents an immediate flight risk” if granted bail.
The court heard Mr Pender’s sister was willing to provide a bail surety and that he lived with his parents, close to the home of his wife and children, as he was a carer for his father who has dementia. There was also evidence of the accused having an acute respiratory condition meaning he could not fly.
The court heard when Mr Pender was stopped in his vehicle on Finglas Road, north Dublin, last Friday a search of that car yielded a quantity of cocaine and €9,000 in cash. After his arrest a number of properties linked to the accused man were searched. Some €17,900 was found at his family home and €26,000 found in a bedroom he used at his parents’ house.
Though Mr Pender told gardaí his wife knew nothing of the €17,900 found in the family home, she was spoken to by gardaí and said the money was hers.
There was also evidence before the court that Mr Pender had told gardaí there was “100 per cent no chance” any of his personal property would be discovered in the container in The Ward, Meath, where most of the drugs were found. However, a search of that container uncovered documents linked to him, via his address.
Denying bail, Judge McHugh said that while Mr Pender was “entitled to the presumption of innocence”, he believed he represented “a significant flight risk”. He remanded him in custody to appear via video-link before Cloverhill District Court on Friday.
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