Drugs courier jailed
A young man has been jailed for eight and a half years after he was caught delivering drugs for a gang involved in the large scale distribution of narcotics and guns in north Dublin.
Nathan Oladeru (aged 27) was caught with a kilogram each of cocaine and cannabis and a large amount of equipment for mixing and processing drugs. His arrest led gardaí to a lock-up containing around another €700,000 worth of cocaine and a large amount of ammunition.
Judge Martin Nolan said Oladeru was delivering the cocaine for others but owned the cannabis himself. He imposed a total of eight and a half years in consecutive sentences.
Oladeru of Mount Symon Avenue, Clonsilla pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €70,000 worth of cocaine for sale or supply at the Naas Road near Kill and €70,000 of cannabis at his parent’s home in Clonsilla, both on May 12, 2010.
He also pleaded guilty to possession of items in connection with drug dealing at his partner’s home in Finglas on April 1, 2011. He was on bail for the drugs offences at the time of his second arrest. He has 18 previous convictions including assault and public order offences.
Garda Brian O’Callaghan told prosecuting counsel, Ms Fiona Murphy BL, that gardaí were investigating a criminal gang involved in the large scale distribution of drugs and weapons when they were tipped-off about a planned drug handover.
They set up a surveillance operation on the Naas Road and observed two cars park beside each other before one drove off. This car was stopped and Oladeru was found in the passenger seat. Gardaí found just under a kilogram of cocaine hidden behind the back seat.
Later that day they searched the house where he lived with his parents and found a kilogram of cannabis along with surgical masks and gloves and weighing scales.
In interview Oladeru said he had travelled to Cork with a work colleague to drop off some cannabis and he was to deliver the cocaine on his way back up. He was to be paid €500 for this.
Gardaí later seized his keys which led them to a lock-up containing a large amount of cocaine and ammunition. This cocaine was from the same batch as the drugs found in the car. Oladeru was not charged with the items found in the lock-up.
Oladeru was released on bail and a year later gardaí got a search warrant for a house in Finglas where his partner lived with their two children. They found five bags of cocaine mixing agents, two hydraulic presses and two metal moulds.
In interview Oladeru said he was holding this equipment for others because he owed them money for cocaine.
Defence counsel, Mr Paul Comiskey O’Keeffe BL, said Oladeru was co-operative and frank with gardaí during his interviews. He said he has a younger sister who is a fashion designer in London and an older brother who is a Dublin music producer.
Counsel said he has two children with his partner who is studying to be nurse. He said he left school at 16 and worked consistently since as a carpet fitter and broadband installer.
