10 in dock over narcotics haul
BY OLIVIA KELLEHER and NOEL BAKER TEN men have appeared in court charged with conspiring to import controlled drugs into Ireland.
The appearances were in connection to a Garda swoop in Tragumna and Leap in West Cork last Friday.
Yesterday morning, four Spanish men appeared before Cork District Court.
A further two men appeared before Midleton District Court, while four more were at Bandon District Court.
Each is charged with conspiring with nine other men to import drugs with a value of in excess of €13,000 into Ireland.
At Cork District Court, the men all required Spanish speaking interpreters.
Judge Mary Dorgan remanded all four in custody to appear at the court again on March 27 by video-link. The men can only apply for bail in the High Court.
Sgt Gearoid Davis told Judge Dorgan that DPP directions were awaited in relation to all four individuals.
They were named as Angel Serran Padilla, 39, of Malaga, Pedro Padio Ojeda
Ortega, 35, of Cadiz, Raul Garcia Tabares, 48, also of Cadiz, and Anuar Rahui, 41, of Marbella.
At Midleton District Court, the two men charged with the same offence were named as Juan Antonio Gallardo, 55, of Cadiz, and Aleksander Milic, 26, of Belgrade in Serbia.
Both men were remanded in custody to appear before Mallow Court on March 26. Both accused had access to interpreters for the duration of their hearings.
At Bandon District Court, four men were charged with being part of a gang accused of conspiracy to import drugs into the State.
They were named as Ali Mazidi, 48, with an address in the Netherlands, Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz, 44, from Spain, Sean Curran, 37, who has an address at Carrickyheenan, Aughnacloy, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, and Kiumaars Ghabiri, 51, who works as a chef at a restaurant in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
All were remanded in custody to appear before Bantry District Court on March 27.