A 26-year-old man found with ecstasy valued over €1 million in hiscompany car has been jailed for five years by Judge Desmond Hogan at DublinCircuit Criminal Court.
Kyle Croft, of The Mews, Killester, Dublin 5, pleaded guilty to possessionof the ecstasy on April 4th, 2003 on St Margaret's Road, Finglas withintention to supply.
Detective Sergeant Justin Kelly told prosecuting counsel, Mr Sean GillaneBL, that gardaí acting on confidential information conducted a surveillanceof Croft's car on April 4, 2003.
Det Sgt Kelly and a colleague followed him as he travelled to the WhiteHouse pub that morning. Around 9.45 a.m he parked at the pub and wentinside. Shortly afterwards they observed a white Ford Transit van drive intothe car park.
Det Sgt Kelly said the driver of the van got into Croft's car, a blackVolkswagen that belonged to the company Croft worked for. He left his ownvehicle in the car park.
Less than an hour later he returned in Croft's car, got into his own, anddrove off. Shortly afterwards, Croft came out of the pub and drove off inhis car.
Det Sgt Kelly and his colleague followed him and it was only when he reachedSt Margaret's Road that Croft realised he was under surveillance. He triedto get away but stalled his car by mistake and Det Sgt Kelly and hiscolleague identified themselves and searched it.
In the boot of the vehicle they found four cardboard boxes which containedplastic bags packed with a total of 122,792 ecstasy tablets. Expertsvalued the drugs at over €1.4 million.
Det Sgt Kelly agreed with Croft's counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, thatCroft who had no previous convictions, was unlikely to re-offend.
He also accepted that Croft had agreed to become involved in the crime inorder to pay off a €1,000 — €2,000 debt he had built up. He was unaware ofthe value of drugs that was in his car and his role was to deliver to "somelocation in South Dublin".
Det Sgt Kelly said the location was to be disclosed to him en route bytelephone but he was intercepted by gardaí before that could be done. Thesecond man had since been arrested and is due to be sentenced in June.
Judge Hogan said he was exercising his discretion not to impose the minimum10-year sentence by taking into account Croft's minimal role in the crime,his previously good character and the testimony by Det Sgt Kelly that he wasunlikely to pose a threat to society in the future.
Judge Hogan suspended the last two years of the five-year sentence oncondition that Croft keeps the peace for five years on his release.