Three Co Laois men remanded in custody since Sunday night reappeared at Portlaoise District Court yesterday charged under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
Pádraig Lewis (30), Rossvale, John Troy (30), Ballyknocken, and Gerard Daly (24), Woodgrove, all in Portlaoise, had nothing to say when the charges were put to them.
The initial hearing heard from Insp Liam Delaney that cocaine had been seized by gardaí on July 2nd in a house at Ballyknocken with a value of approximately €1.5 million.
Judge Seán Furlong imposed stringent bail conditions on each defendant, and said each would need to lodge cash totalling €225,000 before bail would be considered. Yesterday, solicitors for the three sought to reduce the cash terms and some relaxation of the bail conditions.
Judge Gerard Haughton, after hearing that agreement had been reached by the State and defending solicitors, ordered that the three be put on their own bond of €45,000 with no cash lodgement. Each would need two independent sureties of €45,000, with cash lodgements of €15,000 from each person.
The three have also to sign on at Portlaoise Garda station twice daily, seven days a week, and comply with a home curfew from 10pm to 7am.
Pending the depositing of the cash bail, the men were remanded in custody to Portlaoise District Court next Friday.