GARDA DENIES AUTHORISING DRUG CARRYING

A detective denied he had authorised his informant to carry drugs from
Amsterdam to Dublin Airport for a pounds 10,000 fee in 1995. Det Sgt Denis
Palmer denied he had any conversation with his informant about importing
drugs and said he was "shell-shocked" when he learned the accused man had
been detained with drugs valued at pounds 1 million.

Mr Declan Griffin (29), Bunratty Road, Coolock, has pleaded not guilty to
six charges of possession of heroin and ecstasy for sale and supply and
importing heroin and ecstasy at Dublin Airport on December 20th, 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
man at the airport on his return from Amsterdam.

Det Insp Cathal Cryan told prosecuting counsel Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC
that he and Det Sgt Palmer met Mr Griffin in the Phoenix Park after the
airport incident. He went there to get information about another serious
crime, which was totally unrelated and about which the accused man was well
informed.

There was a clear prearrangement that Det Sgt Palmer was not to speak to Mr
Griffin and witness was to get the information he wanted in strict
confidence. He said Det Sgt Palmer left the car to go to the toilet and
returned with scratched hands and face after a fall. Mr Griffin made no
mention of what happened at the airport but discussed the methodology of
the purpose of his purchase of drugs in Amsterdam.

Det Insp Cryan said he remembered Mr Griffin had mentioned a third party
who gave him cash to travel, buy and pay for two kilograms of heroin in
Amsterdam. He also vaguely remembered pounds 40,000 mentioned and that Mr
Griffin went to a contact with whom he succeeded in striking "an excellent
deal" by getting 3 kg for pounds 36,000.

Det Insp Cryan said Mr Griffin made no comment, complaint or mention in the
car of a "controlled delivery" or of bringing drugs to Det Sgt Palmer.

Cross-examined by Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, defending, witness said he became
aware of the airport incident through gossip in the force. Det Insp Cryan
made no reply when asked by Mr Hartnett whether it was a coincidence that
Mr Griffin made admissions in the car at the precise time Det Sgt Palmer
had fallen down a hole in the Phoenix Park.

He denied Mr Hartnett's suggestion that he had lied and that Det Sgt Palmer
"had gone walkabout or indeed fallabout" from the car so he could make
inquiries with the accused man. Mr Hartnett put to him that Det Sgt Palmer
was being accused by the defence of facilitating the importation of heroin
and asked why he did not tell Det Sgt Palmer what he was going to say in
evidence. "I would have thought I did," he replied.

Earlier, in his continued cross examination, Det Sgt Palmer denied Mr
Hartnett's assertion that he knew the accused man had carried large sums of
money three or four times to Amsterdam for criminals. He had never been
told that by Mr Griffin.

Det Sgt Palmer agreed he had asked the accused man to try to find out the
registered numbers of vehicles which were being used to transport drugs
into Ireland. He wanted him to get as much detail on these as he could
without endangering his life.

He was not aware that Mr Griffin left Ireland on December 19th, 1995, with
money organised by criminals. He couldn't recall if they were in contact on
December 19th but would not be surprised if they were. They had regular
contact.

Asked to explain why he stated in his official report "this involvement may
well be misconstrued by others", Det Sgt Palmer said: "Griffin was my
informer and I felt it would be best if someone else dealt with him and
arrested him on the night."

The hearing continues before Judge Frank O'Donnell and a jury in the
Circuit Criminal Court.