Cork man who had €30k worth of cocaine in shopping bag jailed for three years

The nervous appearance of a 24-year-old man in Ballincollig who was seen clutching a Supervalu shopping bag containing over €30,000 worth of cocaine, prompted gardaí to arrest him. 

Now he has been given three year prison term.

Ange Munene of Castlepark, Ballincollig, County Cork, was sentenced by Judge Helen Boyle to a sentence of four years with the last year suspended, backdated to September 1 this year when he went into custody.

Detective Garda Linda O’Keeffe testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that the cocaine stash was recovered on the day that Mr Munene was stopped on September 11, 2024.

Abigail Creed, barrister, suggested that he was cooperative with gardaí, and Det Garda O’Keeffe replied: “To an extent.” 

The young man made admissions to storing the cocaine but did not elaborate. He said he had a debt owing. However, he did not give gardaí the necessary codes to examine his phone.

Ms Creed said of the 24-year-old: “He pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity. He lives with his parents in Ballincollig. He got his Junior Cert and Leaving Cert. He did not complete a third level course, and I believe that was the beginning of his downfall.

“He deteriorated with substance abuse. He has written a letter of apology. He says that going into custody was a relief for him. He went into custody on September 21. He has engaged with education in prison and attends gym on a daily basis. He has now an appreciation of the gravity of his offences.

“He was a lower cog in the machine. He was not the mastermind of the operation, walking down the street with a shopping bag containing the drugs.

“There is progress, which can be seen from his proactive steps in custody.” 

Money laundering

He also pleaded guilty to money-laundering and attempted theft. 

The circumstances of that crime were that he had €18,000 in his account through an invoice re-direction fraud. He attempted to buy €15,000 worth of electrical goods at Harvey Norman’s on Kinsale Road in Cork on October 21, 2022. 

Staff became suspicious and refused to sell the items. They wanted identification from him.

The items were not taken from the premises at the time of that offence on October 21, 2022, when he was 19.

The 21-year-old also pleaded guilty to money-laundering on the same date at Bank of Ireland, Main Street, Ballincollig, County Cork, in respect of over €18,000. The money in the bank account was recovered with the exception of €1,000 which was repaid.

Mr Munene had a history of substance abuse but had come under the care and direction of the probation service, Ms Creed said.

Judge Boyle reminded the young man: “Sentencing on the 2022 offence was adjourned to see how you would get on. 

"Unfortunately, you did not get on well. You did not stay away from the people who were only going to cause trouble for you. And you were caught with the large quantity of cocaine.”