A Dublin man has pleaded guilty to possessing more than €300,000 worth of ketamine.
Officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and Raheny District Drugs Unit, along with Revenue’s Customs Service, participated in a joint operation.
About 5.924kgs of a substance suspected to be ketamine, with an estimated street value of €320,000, was seized in a house in the Dublin 5 area on March 26th, 2021.
Bricklayer, Dillon O’Neill of Lough Derg Road, Raheny, Dublin 5 was charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act for the possession of drugs for sale or supply at his home.
He was granted bail the day after seizure when the defence pleaded he had a supportive family and there was no evidence he would evade justice.
Bail was set in his own bond of €500. Gardaí seized his passport and cannot apply for new travel documents in addition to having to provide a contact phone number.
The Director of Public Prosecutions indicated his case should be dealt with in the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.
Mr O'Neill appeared again at the district court where his solicitor Peter Connolly said his client was offering a signed guilty plea. Following this, Judge Bryan Smyth made an order sending the accused forward to the circuit court for sentencing.
Legal aid was granted to include representation of senior counsel after the judge noted the value of the drugs involved.
