Gardaí suspect a Lithuanian gang were behind the operation of a cannabis growhouse in Co Offaly.
Tullamore Circuit Court was told by Garda Helen Colleran that defendant Nicolai Cojuhari, a 28-year-old who has received a three-year suspended sentence for cultivating cannabis, was at the bottom rung of the operation and would be right to fear those above him.
Judge Keenan Johnson was told Mr Cojuhari was a professional basketball player who was earning about €2,000 a month from the sport in eastern Europe before it was suspended because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He travelled to Ireland because he believed he could make "quick money" and then return home and support his retired mother and partner.
The court was told by Garda Colleran that Mr Cojuhari was arrested following a search of a three-bedroom bungalow and garage at Beggarstown, Birr on 11 May.
The garage was a fully operational cannabis growhouse, one of the bedrooms was being adapted for the same purpose and the intention was to adapt all the bedrooms.
A total of 55 mature cannabis plants were found and at €800 each they would be worth €44,000.
A black bag containing 1,091 grams of cannabis herb was also seized and its market value was said to be €21,822.
In all, the cannabis was worth €65,928.
Garda Colleran told Kevin White, BL, prosecuting, that Mr Cojuhari made full admissions during six interviews and explained that he had travelled to Ireland; was picked up at Dublin Airport and driven straight to the growhouse where he stayed and worked seven days a week watering and tending to the crop.
He had been told he would be paid between €3,000 and €5,000 when the harvest was finished and he told the gardaí he planned to return home afterwards because he missed his family.
He was not paid because gardaí discovered the growhouse following receipt of information.
Replying to Vincent Heneghan, SC, defending, Garda Colleran agreed that Mr Cojuhari would not have asked many questions about what he was doing because of fear.
Judge Johnson said it was accepted that the accused was at the lower rung of the operation and worked as a "gardener" but nonetheless he was enabling the proliferation of drugs which was a huge problem in Ireland.
It is wreaking havoc on society and while some believed cannabis is not as harmful as heroin or cocaine, the cannabis available now is much stronger than the past and research showed that between 5% and 7% of users develop schizophrenia.
He believed Mr Cojuhari had been "duped to a certain extent" and being remanded in custody after the search was a huge penalty on him and it was clear he had already lost a lot, including his reputation.
He backdated the three-year sentence to 11 May and suspended the remainder on condition he enter a €500 peace bond, leave the State within 28 days and not return for ten years.
