POUNDS 3 MILLION CANNABIS IN IMPORTED PLANTS

Two Tallaght, Dublin, men involved in a pounds 3 million cannabis resin
operation in which the drug was concealed in the earth of hundreds of pot
plants have had their sentence adjourned by Judge Frank O'Donnell.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told the premises used by the gang has
since been petrol bombed and burned to the ground by vigilantes, although
the owner had no involvement in the crime.

Maurice O'Riordan (24), Pineview Road, and Christopher Burke (28), Kilmartin
Drive, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to having the cannabis resin for supply on
November 13th, 1997.

Judge O'Donnell said the offences demanded immediate incarceration. A
message had to be sent out to potential victims about the importation of
illegal drugs.

He adjourned sentencing until January 24th, 2000, and remanded both men on
continuing bail. He ordered updated probationary reports for that hearing.

Det Sgt Greg Sheehan told prosecuting counsel, Mr John Peart SC, that the
flowered pot plants arrived on an articulated lorry from Holland in what was
a well orchestrated drug smuggling operation. The lorry was met by a van
driver who transported the drugs to Pineview Road.

Det Sgt Sheehan said a Garda surveillance operation uncovered hundreds of
pot plants strewn around the back garden of the premises. The gardai saw the
plants being dismantled and the bags removed and replanted in moss. The
drugs weighed 300 kilograms and were stashed in 2-kg bags, which were stored
in the earth of each pot plant.

Det Sgt Sheehan said the two defendants were seen at the back of the van
taking the cannabis out of the plants.

He said O'Riordan worked as a courier and fixed motorcycles in his spare
time. He started smoking cannabis at an early age and progressed to smoking
heroin. He was currently on a methadone programme and had no previous
convictions.

Det Sgt Sheehan told Mr Anthony Sammon SC, for O'Riordan, that others in the
motorcycle business had made an offer to O'Riordan to store the cannabis in
his house in return for money to help pay off a personal heroin debt he had
accumulated worth thousands of pounds.

Mr Sammon said O'Riordan had been subjected to sexual abuse as a youngster.
He had lived on the streets since the age of 16.

Det Sgt Sheehan agreed with Mr Sammon that O'Riordan would not reoffend.

Mr Sammon asked Judge O'Donnell not to incarcerate O'Riordan.

Because of his heroin debt, O'Riordan was "ripe" to be exploited.

Det Sgt Sheehan said Burke was currently employed and had three young
children. He had one previous conviction for larceny. He agreed with defence
counsel, Mr Patrick McCarthy SC, that neither Burke nor O'Riordan was aware
of the importation of the cannabis until that morning.

Burke only assisted with the unloading of the plants and the removal of the
cannabis.