Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
TWO MEN IN COURT ON £865k DRUG FIND
Judge remands pair in custody
TWO men appeared in court yesterday after police seized suspected Class A drugs worth around £865,000.
Aaron Kelly, 24, and 27-year-old Carl Ritchie, both from Coalisland in Co Tyrone, were arrested on Friday.
A witness told a special court sitting in Omagh a drugs factory was discovered in woodland near Stewartstown.
He said police had seized what they suspect to be cocaine and believe they can link the find to Kelly.
He faced charges of possession of cocaine with intent to supply, possessing cocaine, having criminal property and concealing criminal property.
The court heard on Thursday and Friday police had observed Kelly in a wooded area at Stewartstown.
In a secluded part they found the drugs factory in two tents.
There was a compressor, equipment to dry out drugs linked to a battery and two containers containing suspected drugs dug into the ground. The court heard when police approached Kelly in a nearby car he ran off across fields. During the chase he discarded his T-shirt and jumped into a stream.
A second seizure linked to Kelly was made earlier in the week. A member of the public found a protein container containing an estimated £15,000 of suspected cocaine, a mobile phone, cash and a suspected dealer’s list. It showed alleged deals to the value of £54,000.
Kelly’s fingerprints were on the list and banknotes in the container, it was alleged.
A PSNI officer said: “We believe Mr Kelly is high up in the supply of drugs in this area.”
Judge Carol Mullan refused bail and remanded Kelly of Ardnasken Park, in custody to Dungannon Court on April 17.
Ritchie, of Mourne Crescent, was separately charged with possession of cocaine with intent to supply, having criminal property and possession of cocaine and cannabis.
Judge Mullan refused bail and remanded Ritchie in custody to Dungannon Court on April 10.
We believe Mr Kelly is high up in the supply of drugs in this area PSNI OFFICER OMAGH COURT YESTERDAY