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06 Sept 2025

Special Criminal Court to hear case of four men accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into Ireland

The four men were arrested alongside six others during a suspected drug smuggling operation by gardaí in March of last year.

Special Criminal Court to hear case of four men accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into Ireland

Special Criminal Court to hear case of four men accused of conspiring to smuggle drugs into Ireland

Reporter:

Alison O' Riordan

21 Jan 2025 5:09 PM

Four men who have been accused of conspiring to import a large amount of controlled drugs into Ireland last year have now had their cases transferred to the non-jury Special Criminal Court.
Pedro Pablo Ojeda Ortega (36) of Cadiz, Spain, Anuar Rahui Chairi (42) of Malaga, Spain, Juan Antonio Gallardo Barroso (56) also from Spain and Aleksandar Milic (27) from Belgrade, Serbia are all charged with conspiring with their co-accused to 
import controlled drugs into Ireland in excess of €13,000 on dates between February 27 and March 14, 2024.
The alleged offence in question is contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977.
On Tuesday, presiding judge Ms Justice Melanie Greally, sitting with Judge Sarah Berkeley and Judge Grainne Malone, granted an ex-parte application - where only one side is present in court - by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to try the four men at the non-jury court.
During Tuesday's brief hearing, State Solicitor Ciara Vibien said that the DPP was applying to the three-judge court to make an order under Section 49 of the Offences Against the State Act that the defendants be tried before the Special Criminal Court.
In certain cases the DPP can certify that, in their opinion the ordinary courts are inadequate to secure the effective administration of justice.

Ms Justice Greally made the formal order for the four men's cases to be heard at the non-jury court.
The four men were not present in court on Tuesday for the legal formality.

The case was listed for mention before the non-jury court on January 27 when the four men will be required to be in attendance.
Six other men, including one from Northern Ireland, have also been charged with the same offence and have been returned for trial to the Special Criminal Court.
All ten men involved in the case come from Ireland, Spain, Serbia and the Netherlands.
 
These ten men were arrested by gardaí in March of last year during operations in the villages of Tragumna and Leap near Skibbereen in west Cork. As part of this suspected drug smuggling operation, gardaí had seized a jeep, camper van, articulated truck and a rigid inflatable boat.

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