Cocaine worth nearly €3 m hidden under Lego in Midlands' driver's lorry

A Midlands truck driver who drove a lorry which had €2.8 million worth of cocaine hidden under a legitimate cargo of Lego has been jailed for five years.

Noel Smullen (58) of Silverdale, Clara, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the unlawful importation of cocaine with a market value of over €13,000 at Dublin Port on September 22, 2024.

Detective Garda Kylie Byrne told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, that on that date, Customs Officers at the port became suspicious about an articulated truck driven by Smullen. Having passed an initial scan by a handheld device, officials decided to do an x-ray of the truck.

This scan revealed a metal compartment concealed in the floor of the flat-bed trailer designed to prevent detection. This contained 40 kilos of cocaine wrapped in blocks.

Aisling Ginger-Quinn BL, defending, said her client was under severe financial stress at the time and was receiving letters from the bank threatening repossession of his home. She said the father of four has worked most of his life as a haulier both nationally and internationally.

She said he had previously worked for the co-accused and this man had contacted him on Facebook after some years out of contact, offering him well-paid work.

Counsel said Smullen assumed this was legitimate work, but when he became aware it involved the importation of drugs, he decided to take the risk. He was promised he would receive €20,000, but he never got any reward.

The Court heard that the accused had a lower level of involvement in the drug importation operation to his co-accused, Killian McNay. McNay (40) of Ardilaun Green, Mullingar, County Westmeath was sentenced to seven and a half years earlier this month.

The court heard that McNay had provided the adapted vehicle to Smullen, but that both men were involved with packing the drugs.

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Smullen has nine previous convictions, including burglary and handling stolen property in 2018, possession of stolen property in 2017 and an assault in 2009.

Judge Martina Baxter said she had to take into consideration the amount of drugs involved and said that cocaine has had “a corrosive effect on society”.

She said this was a sophisticated operation which was planned thoroughly. This planning included Smullen carrying out “a dry run” from the continent into Dublin Port earlier in the month with the adapted truck.

Judge Baxter noted the mitigating factors of Smullen's co-operation with investigators, his early pleas of guilty and his lack of other convictions for drug dealing.

She said she accepted as genuine his expressions of remorse and his apologies.

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She imposed a custodial sentence of six and a half years, suspending the last 18 months for two years on condition that he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service. She backdated the sentence to start on September 22, 2024, when Smullen went into custody.