Man who picked up suitcase with €1m of alleged cocaine at Cork Airport carousel remanded in custody

A passenger stepped off a flight from Portugal and had just picked his suitcase from a carousel at Cork Airport when customs officers intercepted and detained him and allegedly found over €1 million worth of cocaine in his baggage.

Detective Garda Patrick O’Sullivan formally arrested 39-year-old Patrick Cahill of Delhurst Lane, Blanchardstown, Dublin, at Togher garda station at 10.45 p.m. on Tuesday night, September 1, and charged with him possession of the cocaine at Cork Airport at lunchtime on Monday, August 31, and having the drug for sale or supply to others.

The accused man was brought before Cork District Court today where Sergeant Gearóid Davis said there was an objection to bail being granted to the accused because of the seriousness of the case. Diane Hallahan solicitor was appointed to represent the accused on free legal aid and she applied for him to be released on bail.

Judge David Waters said the allegations in the case including the valuation of the suspected drugs were too serious for bail to be granted without substantial independent sureties and cash lodgements.

Judge Waters remanded Patrick Cahill in custody with consent to bail on his own bond of €900 with €300 cash to be lodged and two independent sureties of €15,000, with €5,000 cash to be lodged in each case, and the sureties to be approved by the court. Patrick Cahill was remanded in custody with consent to that bail until September 9. Other conditions require him to surrender all travel documents and not to apply for substitutes, sign daily at Blanchardstown garda station and reside at the Blanchardstown address where he must keep a 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. curfew.

It was alleged during the bail objection that ten bricks of cocaine with a street value of over €1 million were located in his suitcase when he was intercepted and detained at Cork Airport on Monday.

Ms Hallahan said what was seized was only suspected to be cocaine and had yet to be forensically examined.

Judge Waters said that because of the very serious nature of the matter there was a real incentive for the accused man not to attend court to deal with the matter on the adjourned date and that there needed to be sureties in significant amounts.

If conditions of bail are not met by September 9 the defendant’s court appearance will be by video link from prison on that date.