ENGLISH DRUGS 'MULE' JAILED FOR THREE YEARS

An English woman who imported cannabis resin valued at £190,000 into
Ireland for a major criminal gang has been jailed for three years.

Charlotte Loines (19) was offered £1,000 by a man she knew as "The Crow"
for each of two trips she did from Spain as a drugs "mule", Dublin Circuit
Criminal Court was told.

Loines, of Walton Street, Heywood, Manchester, pleaded guilty to importing
19kg of the drug at Dublin Airport on April 6th last.

Garda Marie Courtney told prosecuting counsel Mr Conor Devalley that when
airport Customs officers stopped Loines, who was wheeling a suitcase on a
trolley, she agreed she had packed the case herself.

Garda Courtney said similar types of packet were observed when her luggage
was X-rayed. The case had to be forced open.

Loines was arrested and made a statement in which she admitted making a
previous similar run for a man she knew as "The Crow". She said she was met
by two people at the airport then and was paid £1,000. She was to get
another £1,000 for the second run.

Garda Courtney agreed with Mr Patrick Marrinan, defending, that Loines
co-operated and brought gardai on a demonstration of the route taken by the
people who met her the first time.

She agreed that arrests had followed as a result of the co-operation
received from Loines and others. Loines admitted she knew she was carrying
drugs but did not know the amount or type.

Mr Marrinan said Loines was a foreign national who had been found sobbing
in her cell several times. She had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity
and had cooperated. As a foreign national she would not be able to receive
visits very often while in custody.

Judge Cyril Kelly said it seemed the Court of Criminal Appeal had laid down
a tariff for drugs cases. Two recent sentences imposed by him had been
reduced on appeal. An importer of crack cocaine - "the most lethal
substance" - had his sentence reduced from seven years to five.

Judge Kelly said it was clear Loines was immature and easily led. He had to
take the into consideration her emotional problems, her previous anorexia,
drug and drink problems, that she was "on the rebound" from an attachment
and had pleaded guilty.

The judge said: "She perfectly describes practically every drug courier who
has come before the courts in recent times." But he also had to think about
the well-being of society and jail her for three years.