A couple from Dublin and a lorrydriver from Derry have been remanded in custody today following one of the largest ever discoveries of Class A drugs in Northern Ireland.
The three appeared at a special sitting of Magherafelt District Court.
Eight kilogrammes of heroin and 210,000 ecstasy tablets were found in the cab of a lorry stopped by PSNI officers on the Foyle Bridge in Derry on Saturday morning.
District judge Greg McCourt heard the drugs had a potential street value of £2 million.
Lorry driver Sean Doherty (41), from Cornshell Fields is charged with possessing the heroin and ecstasy tablets and with possessing the drugs with intent to supply them. In answer to all four charges he replied: “Not guilty, under duress."
Anthony Morgan, (27) from Eaton Green, Rathcoole in Dublin and his partner Sarah Greene (24), of the same address, who were arrested in a van travelling immediately behind the defendant Doherty’s lorry, both deny being concerned in the supply of heroin and ecstasy tablets.
Mr Morgan is further charged with obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty.
The court heard police also recovered five mobile phones from the lorry and van and that, as part of the police investigation, the mobile phone traffic was being forensically examined.
A solicitor for Mr Doherty said he would not be applying for bail.
Mr Morgan and Ms Greene did apply for bail through the same solicitor, who told the court that family members had travelled from Dublin with cash for surety. Their solicitor said both were denying any involvement in the incident.
The judge refused the bail application and all three were remanded in custody to appear via video link before the Magistrate’s Court in Derry on July 23rd.