Taxi driver charged following cannabis seizures

A taxi driver has been charged with possessing 22 kilos of cannabis, worth more than €440,000, in Dublin.

Officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) and the Special Crime Task Force carried out a search operation in the Tallaght and city centre areas of Dublin on Monday. A number of vehicles were stopped and searched as part of this operation.

Two men were arrested and detained at Tallaght Garda Station under section two of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. They appeared before Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court on Wednesday.

Kuong Io Ieong, 51, with an address at The Commons, Duleek, Co. Meath was charged with possessing 16 kilos of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply which were allegedly found in cars at Old Bawn Road in Tallaght and at Kings Inn Street, Dublin 1 on Monday.

He is also accused of possessing six kilos of cannabis for sale or supply on May 14th at an unknown location.

The court heard the separated father of two, originally from Macau in China, has lived in Ireland for 21 years.

Objecting to bail, Garda Dave Moran told Judge Michael Walsh that the GNDOCB was conducting an operation in relation to a Dublin based gang involved in the sale or supply of drugs.

Mr Ieong was allegedly observed placing a bag in a 131-reg Skoda car at Old Bawn Road. It was searched and found to contain seven kilos of cannabis. Another car was stopped and Mr Ieong was arrested.

A third car was searched at a car park at King’s Inn Street and a further nine kilos of the drug were allegedly recovered.

The total value of the drugs seized, in Mr Ieong’s case, was €444,000, the court was told. Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions were not yet available and it could take months before the substances are analysed, the court was told.

Judge Walsh set bail in his own bond of €2000 cash and required a €15,000 independent surety to be approved. Mr Ieong, who has surrendered his passport, was remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear at Cloverhill District Court on June 2nd next.

Once bail has been taken up he must reside at an address in Dublin, sign on daily at the Bridewell Garda station, not apply for alternative travel documents and remain contactable by phone at all times.

A co-defendant, Barry Fowler, 35, from The Crescent, Millbrook Lawns, Tallaght, was charged with possessing cannabis, and having it for sale or supply, at Old Bawn Road on May 24th, but he did not apply for bail.

The value of drugs in his case was not stated in court and he was remanded in custody to appear again in one week at Cloverhill District Court.