INFORMANT'S DRUGS MOVE DISHONEST SAYS GARDA

A detective told a jury that his informant acted dishonestly with him by
importing more than 1 million pounds worth of drugs on a trip from
Amsterdam in 1995.

Det Sgt Denis Palmer said he thought he was meeting Declan Griffin at
Dublin Airport to receive information about another unrelated drug matter.

Det Sgt Palmer said: "If he brought drugs into Dublin and I had not cleared
it with my superior it would be in breach of everything that I ever stood
for in 20 years." He agreed with defence counsel Hugh Hartnett SC (with
Brendan Grehan BL) he had said in a report he was not aware whether Mr
Griffin had made a statement or attempted to make exculpatory verbal
statements, but in view of his obvious dishonesty it would not surprise him
if he had attempted to vindicate himself.

Det Sgt Palmer told Mr Hartnett he stated this after customs officer Seamus
Mac an Ridire informed him that Mr Griffin was found in possession of the
drugs but denied he owned the luggage. He denied a further suggestion by
counsel that the reference to vindicate himself meant that he was aware at
some stage Mr Griffin was going to spill the beans about this garda
operation unless this case was dropped against him.

Mr Griffin, 29, Bunratty Road, Coolock has pleaded not guilty to six drug
charges of possession of heroin and ecstasy for sale and supply and
importing heroin and ecstasy at Dublin Airport on December 20, 1995. The
drugs consisted of 2,999.4 grams of heroin and 2,056 tablets of ecstasy,
which were in four packages recovered from luggage collected by the accused
at the airport on his return from a trip to Amsterdam. Det Sgt Palmer said
an informant was always met at his location and request in reply to Mr
Hartnett, who suggested there was a certain amount of subterfuge and
secrecy as to where to meet his informer and that it was a nonsense to
claim Mr Griffin had arranged to meet him in the arrivals hall of Dublin
Airport where he was surrounded by thousands of people.

Witness agreed, however, it was extraordinary to meet him there but added
only Mr Griffin could explain that. Det Sgt Palmer denied a suggestion by
Mr Hartnett that falling into a 12 to 14 ft hole in Phoenix Park was a
nonsense and a lie to cover up what Det Garda Cathal Cryan would say in
future evidence. Mr Hartnett suggested he had left the garda car to allow
Det Garda Cryan remain alone with Mr Griffin who allegedly made certain
admissions regarding informant matters. Det Sgt Palmer replied: "I don't
know the full content of their conversation and Det Garda Cryan and I still
haven't discussed it." He added he had seen no other statements in relation
to the investigation except his own.

He agreed with Mr Hartnett that he had struck out a number of charges that
Mr Griffin had been arrested for on foot of warrants on his return from
England in 1993. He said he had spoken to other detectives and they agreed
there was insufficient evidence to warrant a prosecution and to drop the
charges in exchange for information. Det Sgt Palmer said he acknowledged he
was wrong not to have contacted the Director of Public Prosecutions after
Mr Hartnett reminded him that it was the DPP's function and not his to
strike out charges. Det Sgt Palmer told Mr Hartnett the four phone calls
made to the customs office were nothing to do with Mr Griffin but to
arrange to have coffee with Mr Mac an Ridire.

He did not agree with Mr Hartnett's assertion that the calls were so out of
the ordinary that the customs had made a sweep of the airport looking for
gardai.