20/11/2009

Man Arrested Over Naas Drug Seizure

A man has been arrested in County Kildare after a stop and search of his vehicle yesterday afternoon.

The arrest took place around 1.40pm when the Garda National Drugs Unit and Naas District Detective and Drug Units stopped a vehicle in Naas, County Kildare.

The vehicle contained a number of large cardboard cartons which when examined revealed 122kgs of what is believed to be herbal cannabis and 2kgs of suspected cocaine. The combined total of the seizure has an estimated street value of €1.6million.

The 36-year-old driver was arrested and is currently detained at Naas Garda Station under the Drug Trafficking Act.

Meanwhile, a Belfast court has heard that a man stopped at Belfast International Airport earlier this month had up to £30,000 worth of suspected cocaine hidden in his body.

Prosecutors at the High Court said seven packages of powder with an estimated purity of more than 70% were detected in hospital X-rays.

Lamine Sambu (37), and originally from Guinea-Bissau, was detained as he arrived on a flight from Amsterdam on November 3.

The accused, who faces one charge of importing class A drugs, claimed the packages were given to him free in a nightclub and were for his own personal use.

He was denied bail and is awaiting sentencing.

(DW/KMcA)


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