LITHUANIAN HEROIN GANG TARGETS TRALEE

TRALEE is being targeted by a Lithuanian crime boss who wants to capitalises on the town’s “lucrative” heroin trade, the courts have heard.

Leonas Volkas who was brought before Killorglin District Court on Thursday is the second Lithuanian man in days to be arrested by gardai – on suspicion of drug dealing – soon after arriving in the country.

Mr Volkas, who has no Irish address, had “literally landed in the country” when he was arrested by members of Kerry Divisional Drugs unit who were carrying out surveillance at the Dan Spring Road, Tralee, last Wednesday, Sgt Miriam Mulhall Nolan told Killorglin Court.

Garda Kevin Walsh gave evidence of arresting Volkas in the Riverside Walkway, between the Aquadome and Rose Hotel, Tralee, at 6.20pm on Wednesday.

When arrested he replied “No” to each of two charges – obstruction of a garda and impeding a drugs search. However, the court was told he was pleading guilty to both.

The gardai who were carrying out surveillance approached Mr Volkas who they believed was in the process of a drugs transaction and he attempted to flee.

Shouting and obstructing arrest, he struck Garda Walsh in the face and was eventually restrained by Garda Fairbrother, the court heard. €449 was found on his person and that was confiscated as the proceeds of crime.

Padraig O’Connell, solicitor for Mr Volkas, said the crime boss behind the operation had identified Tralee as “a lucrative spot” to sell heroin.

This crime boss used unfortunate people like his client Mr O’Connell said.

“They are flown into this country, given nothing, apart from a map. They have nothing except petty cash. My client was parachuted in,” he said.

Judge James O’Connor asked why Mr Volkas was recruited by “this boss of bosses, this Capo di Capi”, said the judge.

“They don’t send in a patsy,” Judge O’Connor said.

The matter was “jailable,” he said, adding “no mercy will be shown to these fellows.”

The solicitor suggested that “to save the State further expense” his client had agreed to present himself to his embassy in Dublin, travelling by bus, to be repatriated to his native country, Lithuania, at the expense of that country. Mr Volkas, assisted by a Lithuanian interpreter, then entered the witness box in Killorglin and swore he would return to Lithuania and not return to Ireland for at least 10 years.

Judge O’Connor convicted him of obstructing a garda and of impeding a drugs search. He imposed a sentence of ten months, suspended on condition he returned to Lithuania by Tuesday, March 21.

A second Lithuanian man – found in Tralee with heroin deals in his mouth – received the same sentence as Mr Volkas last week. A third man had also been before the courts.

“As soon as one is caught, they are replaced, often with the same type of individual,” Det Sgt Declan Liddane, head of the Kerry Drugs Division told