‘No links to organised crime’ in drugs arrest of Rachel Allen’s son
DETECTIVES investigating a €30,000 drug seizure which led to Rachel Allen’s son being arrested do not believe there are direct organised crime links to the bust.
Last week, Joshua Allen (18) was arrested and quizzed following a controlled delivery of cannabis to him in the Shanagarry area of Cork.
A significant investigation into the drug seizure is under way, and gardaí are liaising with US postal and police services.
The package, which was intercepted at the Portlaoise mail centre, originated from the US.
Officials at the centre had become very suspicious of the parcel which bore a US postmark and was stamped ‘clothing’.
Detectives from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) are assisting Revenue and east Cork gardaí. A source told the Irish Independent there was nothing to suggest the €30,000 shipment had any direct organised crime links.
“It would have been purchased for a third less than the street value of €30,000, and in the early stages of the investigation there are no obvious organised crime links to the drugs,” the source said.
On Monday, Ms Allen released a statement in which she said her son Joshua would be pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
The celebrity chef is scheduled to host a tea party with Brendan Grace at the Kennedy Summer School in New Ross, Co Wexford, today.
A spokeswoman for the event yesterday said that Ms Allen would attend as expected.
Joshua was arrested and quizzed under drug trafficking legislation, but released without charge.
A file will be sent to the DPP at a later date and charges will be considered.
In the statement, Ms Allen said that her son had never been in trouble with gardaí before.
“We are absolutely devastated at this turn of events,” she said.
“Our son is 18 years old, has never been in trouble with gardaí, and has made a huge mistake, which will have profound consequences for him.
“We do not in any way condone his actions, in fact we utterly condemn them, but it is not for us to condemn him.
“We must now try to look after our son and our family, the best way we can.
“We would ask that the legal process would be allowed to proceed to deal with this matter, without interference, and that we would be allowed to deal with this, like any other parents in a similar position.”