A former haulier has been jailed for seven and half years for his role in organising the importation of €2.8 million worth of cocaine into Dublin Port last year.
Killian McNay (40) of Ardilaun Green, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, came forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed pleas from the District Court.
He admitted to having 40kg of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Port on September 22nd, 2024. He also admitted importation of the drugs, worth an estimated €2.8 million. He has minor previous convictions for road traffic offences.
Detective Garda Philip Walsh told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, the drugs were found in specialised containers concealed in the base of a flat-bed trailer that had been carrying a legitimate load of Lego destined for Lidl stores in Ireland.
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The trailer was being carried by an articulated truck and had just arrived into Dublin Port when it was intercepted by custom officers.
The court heard McNay was under financial pressure at the time and had agreed to get involved. He had hired a driver for the job and went along with him to Holland to ensure that the consignment was properly loaded.
That driver is still before the courts.
Det Gda Walsh confirmed custom officers became suspicious and an initial search with a handheld scanner was inconclusive. A more intensive search led to the drugs being discovered in the hidden compartment.
The detective said the floor of the trailer had sections of it dug out to hide specially adapted containers which held the drugs.
McNay was interviewed six times when the evidence, including phone data, CCTV footage and the tracker from the truck were put to him. He made admissions and accepted he was present when the drugs were loaded onto the trailer.
Det Gda Walsh agreed with Dean Kelly SC, defending, that McNay had worked most of his life in the haulage industry either as an employee or running his own business.
He accepted that the company McNay had been running, while appearing to be successful, was running on the reliance of borrowings from family and friends. It was accepted that McNay was in significant debt and leaving beyond his means.
Mr Kelly said his client’s enterprise had “been built on credit” notwithstanding the work that had been coming in.
Counsel said people who run such haulage companies are regularly approached by people “with malign intentions to see if they could find a soft spot in the wall and they found that soft spot in my client”.
Mr Kelly asked the court to accept that this client made full admissions in respect of his own role.
He said his involvement “cost him his liberty and his substantial reputation in business and the community”.
Mr Kelly said McNay a father of four, is now estranged from his wife.
Judge Martin Nolan said McNay had a scheme to make money and made “a grievous misjudgement.”
He said he must infer that McNay was to receive “some reward for his services” and accepted that he was engaged to transport the drugs.
Judge Nolan acknowledged that McNay was a good hard-working man who found himself in a “precarious situation due to credit”.
He sentenced McNay to seven and half years in prison.
