Car search at Little Island leads to seizure of €113,800 worth of drugs

Gardaí stopped and searched a car being driven on the N25 at Little Island and seized over €16,000 worth of cannabis, and in follow-up searches of two houses in the Dungarvan area they found another €97,000 worth of cannabis, a court has heard.

Garda Stephen Condon objected to bail being granted to Krzysztof Szelagowski, aged around 50, with an address at 28 Estuary Heights, Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

Garda Condon testified at Cork District Court yesterday: “Our concern is that if Krzysztof Szelagowski is released on bail that he would leave the jurisdiction, given the substantial amount of cannabis herb.

“It is our belief that there are no bail conditions strong enough to eliminate our concerns of him leaving the jurisdiction.”

Krzysztof Szelagowski was represented in court by barrister Elaine Audley, and he was also assisted by a Polish interpreter.

He faces a number of charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act, including three counts of possessing cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply to others.

Garda Condon said it was alleged that at around 3.30pm on October 8, Mr Szelagowski was stopped driving a car on the N25 at Little Island and that over €16,000 worth of cannabis was found in the car after a search.

The defendant was the only person in the car when it was stopped. He was arrested and interviewed. At 5.30pm, gardaí with search warrants went to two houses in the Dungarvan area. They went to a house at Killineen East, Dungarvan, and found €93,000 worth of cannabis. Finally, at his home address at Estuary Heights in Dungarvan, more than €4,000 worth of cannabis was found.

The total amount of cannabis across the three seizures of drugs was €113,800, Garda Condon said.

Judge Dorgan remanded the accused in custody with consent to bail to appear at Clonmel District Court on October 14.

Bail conditions include his own bond of €15,000, of which €5,000 has to be lodged, an independent surety of €10,000 of which there has to be a €4,500 lodgement, and he must surrender his passport.

He is also required to abstain from intoxicants, undergo urinalysis every 21 days, sign on daily at Dungarvan Garda Station, and keep a curfew between 10pm and 7am.