Accused surrenders his passports to gardaí

A young man with Brazilian and Portuguese passports who had been remanded in custody for alleged drug-dealing has surrendered both passports to gardaí.

Judge Catherine Ryan said her refusal of bail earlier was partly based on concerns that the accused was a flight risk and that his passports had not come to light.

Solicitor Donal Daly said the defendant’s father had come from Valencia in Spain to Cork and had located his son’s passports and given them to gardaí.

Judge Ryan then said in respect of 23-year-old Marco Vinicius Rodrigues Puga of Gerald Griffin Street, Cork, that she would remand him in custody with consent to bail on condition that both passports were verified.

Other bail conditions included a cash lodgement of €5,000 by his father and that the defendant would sign daily at the Bridewell garda station. 

The 23-year-old is charged with drug-dealing and attempting to obstruct a drugs search. 

Garda Alan Donovan outlined previously: “On May 20 at approximately 7.15pm, gardaí were on patrol on Popes Quay when they observed the accused on a black motorbike acting in a suspicious manner. On seeing gardaí, the male fled the area at speed.

“About five minutes later he was observed on Dominic Street, off Shandon Street. Gardaí approached him and identified themselves as members of An Garda Síochána. He then fled on foot in the direction of Shandon Street and was apprehended after a short foot chase. “Mr Rodrigues Puga then became extremely violent and resisted gardaí, lashing out at them with his closed fists. As he violently resisted arrest, he threw two brown envelopes away. Later recovered by gardaí, the were each found to contain 6.5grams of cannabis worth €130 each.

“He was pepper-sprayed by gardaí. Despite this, he continued to resist his arrest until the arrival of additional gardaí to the area who successfully subdued the accused. The total value of the cannabis seized from the accused is €678.”