Former bodyguard gets six years for cocaine in car battery
A former military bodyguard has been jailed for six years for importing cocaine into the country hidden in a car’s battery.
Zoran Andjelkovic (aged 41), a Dutch national, but originally from Serbia, was caught with nearly two kilogrammes of the drug, worth €125,000. Gardaí were alerted to the drugs by a confidential tip-off.
Andjelkovic, of Hagandoornwag, Amsterdam, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cocaine for sale or supply on December 13, 2008 at the Airside Retail Park in Swords.
Detective Garda Neil Kavanagh told prosecuting counsel, Mr Ronan Kennedy BL, that they were informed that a car containing a large amount of cocaine would be in the Swords area. They set up surveillance around the town and spotted the car in the car park of a hotel.
Andjelkovic was seen getting into the car and driving to another hotel before continuing on to the Airside Retail Park. He went into a shop there and when he returned gardaí moved in.
He was arrested while the car was brought away for a search. Gardaí found 1778 grams of cocaine wrapped up and hidden in the car battery housing.
Andjelkovic initially claimed he had bought the jeep in Holland and was in Ireland to find customers for his new plastics business. He said he did not know there were drugs in the car.
When his fingerprints were found on the packages he admitted he had been asked by an Irish man called “Tommy” to drive the car over. He said he thought he was transporting money and was shocked when he saw drugs loaded in.
He said he was to be paid €5,000 which he needed to help pay off a €25,000 debt.
“I will never do this again”, he told gardaí. “I am glad no families will suffer from these drugs.” Det Gda Kavanagh said he had no previous convictions here but was “known” to the Dutch police.
Defence counsel, Ms Caroline Biggs SC, said Andjelkovic had been a close protection bodyguard in the Dutch military and had also worked as a bouncer but was currently unemployed. She said he had entered an early guilty plea and had assisted gardaí as much as he could.
Jailing him for six years, Judge Katherine Delahunt said she accepted the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years was not necessary due to his cooperation with gardaí.
