Mother and daughter remanded in custody over €1.28m cannabis seizure at Shannon Airport

David Raleigh

A mother and daughter accused of possessing €1.28 million worth of cannabis at Shannon Airport two days before Christmas were remanded in custody to appear in court again on New Year’s Eve.

Dovil Reifonaite, (40), and Migle Kurieniute, (20), both with an address at Newlands, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Christmas Eve.

The court heard the two accused women made no reply when charged with the drugs offences.

Each accused is charged with one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, as well as one count of possession of cannabis.

Solicitor John Casey applied for bail on behalf of the two accused which was denied by Judge Alec Gabbett following objections from Gardaí.

Gardaí told the bail hearing that, at 11:16am on December 23rd last, the two accused disembarked from a flight at Shannon Airport from Boston.

Gardaí alleged that officers attached to Revenue discovered 64kgs vacuum-packed packages of cannabis with a street value of €1.28 million, in four suitcases belonging to the two accused. It was a “significant quantity” of drugs, gardaí added.

Mr Casey told the court that Ms Reifonaite and Ms Kurieniute had lived in Mullingar for the past eight years and that they would abide by any bail conditions.

“Ms Kurieniute has been here since she was 12. They have set up home here, and if granted bail they will sign on daily or even twice daily at a garda station, this is where their life is,” said Mr Casey.

Judge Gabbett said he was refusing bail and that each accused “are entitled to the presumption of innocence”.

The judge remanded the two accused custody to appear, via video-link, at Ennis District Court on December 31st.