FOUR men have appeared before Bandon District Court charged in connection with a €31 million cocaine seizure.
Three of the four accused are British, while the fourth has an address in Germany.
Earlier this week, gardai from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau stopped a van in the Courtmacsherry area of Cork, and a large quantity of suspected cocaine was recovered.
The men who appeared in court are 40-year old Mark Doherty, with an address at Waterfront Avenue, Glasgow; 41-year old Ben Sandfield, with an address at Moray in Scotland; 31-year old Levit Gulay, with an address in Bavaria, Germany; and 44-year old Christopher Hibbit from Cornwall in England.
All four face two charges each: possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine for sale or supply at Meelmane, Courtmacsherry on Tuesday.
Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given by detectives from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau to Judge Joanne Carroll.
Detective Garda John McWeeney said he arrested Mark Doherty and charged him with the two charges. He made no reply when charged.
Lawyer Plunkett Taaffe, defending, applied for free legal aid and said his client was not applying for bail at this time.
Judge Carroll said a statement of means must be provided before granting his application.
Detective Garda Marguerite Reilly said she arrested Levent Gulay and charged him with the two drugs charges on July 2 at 20.45 in Bandon Garda Station.
He made no reply. The services of a German interpreter were used both in the Garda Station and in the court this morning.
Lawyer Myra Dineen said there would be no bail application at this time, but there may be at a later date.
‘SORRY’
Detective Garda Gavin Curran said he charged Christopher Hibbett and cautioned him.
He made no reply to possession of cocaine but replied to the charge of possession for sale or supply: “I am f***ing sorry. That’s it.”
Detective Garda Shane Kiely said he arrested and charged Ben Sanford who made no reply to the charges.
Sergeant Tom Mulcahy said he was seeking a remand in custody to Macroom District Court on July 9.
REMANDED
Judge Joanne Carroll said the State is to be provided with 48 hours notice of any applications for bail, and statements of means for all defendants requesting free legal aid was to be produced 24 hours in advance of court appearances to give the court time to consider the applications.
She remanded the four defendants in custody, which she said could be for no more than eight days.
They will all appear in Macroom District Court on July 9.
