English van driver appears in court charged in connection with €1.1m Dublin Port haul

Tom Tuite

An English van driver has been remanded in custody after being charged over a €1.1 million cannabis seizure at Dublin Port.

Daljeet Singh (52) was arrested at New Custom House on Wednesday when a commercial vehicle, which arrived on a ferry from the UK, was inspected.

Officers from Store Street Garda station detained Mr Singh under the Drug Trafficking Act, and he was charged on Thursday night with unlawful possession for sale or supply.

Mr Singh, who lives at New Birmingham Road, Oldbury, England, was held pending his appearance before Judge Gerard Jones at Dublin District Court on Friday.

Garda Stephen Flynn told the court that Mr Singh made no reply to the charges.

Defence solicitor Michael French said his client was not applying for bail at this stage.

Outlining the case, Gda Flynn said the accused arrived in his van at the port, where customs officers searched the vehicle and allegedly found 55kg of cannabis "concealed in cardboard boxes in the back of Mr Singh's van".

The court heard the cannabis was worth €1.1 million, and there were no other passengers in the van.

Judge Jones remanded Mr Singh in custody pending directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions,

The judge also granted legal aid after the court was furnished with a statement of Mr Singh's finances, with Mr French adding his client is "not a man of means".

Mr Singh did not address the court or indicate a plea and will face his next hearing on April 12th.