Two men have been remanded in custody in connection with the seizure of over €5 million worth of drugs in Co Meath earlier this week.
Garden centre owner Matthew Farrell, 64 of Lisagoan, Kingscourt, Co Cavan, and his 61-year-old co-accused Joseph Sherry of Allagesh, Smithborough, Co Monaghan were brought before a special sitting of Navan District Court this evening.
Both men are charged with having a combined total street value of €5.39 million worth of cocaine and heroin for sale or supply at Leggagh, Castletown, Co. Meath on Tuesday.
The court was told the drugs arrived into Ireland in a container that arrived at Dublin Port from the Netherlands before gardaí allowed for the "controlled delivery" of the drugs to a storage unit at Leggagh, Castletown where Mr Farrell and Mr Sherry were present.
The court heard Mr Farrell's name was listed as the recipient on the pallet that arrived at the storage unit and in which the drugs were concealed.
Detective Paul Cullen of Navan Garda Station and Garda Ben McGarry of the Meath Divisional Drugs Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.
Both men made no reply when the charges were put to them.
Detective Cullen told the court that the drugs were recovered as a result of an intelligence-led joint operation that was conducted by Revenue's Customs Service, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and the Meath/Westmeath Divisional Drugs and Crime Units.
The court heard that gardaí had disrupted a transnational drugs gang that has "vast resources and networks".
There were objections to bail in the case of both men.
Gardaí said the reasons for their objections included the seriousness of the charges facing both of the accused and the strength of the evidence against them.
Following lengthy contested hearings, Judge Éirinn McKiernan refused bail in the case of both men.
Mr Farrell and Mr Sherry were remanded in custody to appear before Trim District Court on Tuesday via video-link.
Judge McKiernan also reserved her judgement on applications for legal aid after gardaí told the court that they believed both of the accused to be men of means.
