Pensioner who imported €280k worth of cocaine into Ireland is jailed

Eimear Dodd

A pensioner who imported over €280,000 of cocaine into Ireland has been jailed for two years and three months.

Joachim Ruckweld (70) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to importation of cocaine for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on November 17th, 2024.

Garda Lee Jones gave evidence that Ruckweld arrived on a flight from Zurich and was seen acting suspiciously.

His luggage was x-rayed and an anomaly was detected. When his luggage was searched, 20 packages containing a total of 4kg of cocaine, valued at €280,250, were found.

Ruckweld, of Jagerstrasse, Korn, Germany said the luggage belonged to him, that he packed it himself and that it contained coffee beans.

He said he wasn't a drugs user and had been instructed to meet someone in Ireland. He said he got the bag in Brazil and that his travel and accommodation was arranged for him.

Ruckweld told gardai he was a pensioner living between Germany, South America, and Florida. He said he didn't know what was in the suitcase but believed it was untoward. He denied that he was due to be paid and said he hadn't done it before.

Ruckweld has been in custody since his arrest and has no previous convictions.

Gda Jones agreed with a suggestion from Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, that his client was a bit naïve. He also said he accepts Ruckweld's assertion that he hadn't made a trip like this before.

Mr Dwyer said there was no evidence that his client has a criminal record anywhere and asked the court to treat him “as a person who was stupid and naïve to become involved in this”.

His client worked before his retirement and is doing well in custody.

Judge Dara Hayes said it was “slightly curious why a man of his age would engage in such behaviour at this stage of his life” and that no explanation had been provided to the court.

He said while “it may have been his [Ruckweld's] first trip, it is clear he knew what he was doing was wrong”.

The judge said it was an aggravating feature that Ruckweld's offending “was in assistance to serious criminal elements” as well the negative impact that the drugs trade has on society and communities.

Having considered the mitigation, Judge Hayes imposed a sentence of two years and nine months with the final six months suspended on strict conditions, backdated to when Ruckweld went into custody.