Man who drove from the UK to Cork with €160k drugs stash in secret compartment jailed for six years

Cork gardaí moved in on a drugs transaction taking place in the carpark of the Radisson Hotel in Little Island and uncovered a €160,000 stash of cannabis and a bag containing €39,500 in cash.

The man who imported the drug drove from his home in Wales to Blackpool in the UK where the eight kilos of cannabis were hidden in a secret compartment that was created under the backseats of his car. He then drove with the drugs by ferry from Stranraer to Larne and from Northern Ireland to Cork.

43-year-old Julius Sobul of Collingwood Avenue, Newport, Gwent, Wales, was charged by Garda Ruairi McGovern on counts that included, having more than €13,000 worth of cannabis for sale or supply and importing drugs with a similar value. 

€13,000 is a threshold figure for a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years unless there are exceptional circumstances. He pleaded guilty.

Judge Dermot Sheehan imposed a sentence of seven years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Blaise O’Carroll senior counsel for the defence said: “He is extremely sorry, he was inveigled into his participation and he asks for mercy.” 

Mr O’Carroll said the accused made a particular appeal not to have his car forfeited to the state. Prosecution barrister, Mary O’Dwyer, applied for such a forfeiture and Judge Sheehan granted it saying that he was doing so because the car had been specifically adapted for the purpose of importing drugs. 

The judge said that he understood that such an order placed additional hardship on the defendant and his family but that he had to have regard for the special compartment made in the car for hiding drugs.

Det. Garda McGovern said gardaí observed a transaction taking place in the carpark of the Radisson Hotel in Little Island, County Cork, between the occupants of two vehicles and when officers moved in to carry out a search they found €160,000 worth of cannabis and €39,500 in cash on the occasion on December 19 2023.

“He was arrested, conveyed to Mayfield garda station, questioned and on interview he acknowledged that he placed eight kilos of cannabis into the co-accused’s vehicle after he received the bag of money,” the detective testified.

Judge Dermot Sheehan said, “This car was specially adapted for this purpose to bring contraband from the UK to Cork and you did all this for £500 (Sterling).

“You did this because you had substantial debts and you were under pressure to do something. Unfortunately, you decided to get involved in this. You signed pleas of guilty.

“This was an elaborate plan to import this. You admitted you first had a trial run and then did this. You did this under a lot of pressure in your life. Guards accept it was out of character,” Judge Sheehan said.