Gardaí found over €70,000 worth of cocaine after car was stopped outside Letterkenny

A man has walked free from prison after serving 20 months in custody after being discovered with a haul of cocaine, valued at €70,000, after Gardaí stopped the car he was in just outside Letterkenny.

Amin Rhamahi was charged with the offence at Listillion on August 26, 2022.

The package found in his possession had been traced back to a filling station in Athlone where it had been transferred from one vehicle to another.

The accused was charged with possession of cocaine with intent to sell or supply on the date in question.

Garda Damian Maughan said Gardaí had received a tip off concerning the occupants of a Suzuki Swift car acting suspiciously between Donegal Town and Ballybofey.

A Garda patrol signalled the car to stop at Listillion and noted the front seat passenger, the accused, was “glassy eyed” and was nervous to such an extent that he was unable to answer a simple question.

Carrying out a search of the boot of the car, Sgt. Maurice Doyle located a suspicious package in a dog food bag hidden under some clothing.

The accused admitted ownership of the package and was arrested and conveyed to Letterkenny Garda Station.

The materials in the bag were forwarded to the Forensic Science laboratory and found to involve 1,000 grammes of cocaine valued at €70,308.

Sterling to the value of £1,440 was also discovered in the car which the accused told Gardaí represented his life savings.

Rhamahi was interviewed on a number of occasions and told Gardaí he owed a drug debt of €3,000 and had become addicted to alcohol and cannabis.

He said he had been originally instructed to travel to Cork to pick up the package but then had been ordered to go to Athlone.

The court heard that Detective Garda McLoone travelled to a filling station in Athlone to uncover CCTV footage that subsequently showed a package being handed from the occupants of one car to another.

The accused had resided between addresses in Dundalk and Portnablagh. He had four previous convictions including for theft and handling stolen property.

Called by the defence counsel, Colm Smyth, S.C. to take to the witness stand, the accused said he was “extremely ashamed and embarrassed” by his actions.

He had been in custody for 20 months since his arrest and had struggled with prison life. He asked to be given a chance to attend a treatment centre to help with his addictions.

A cousin of his, who had lived in London and been “like a brother” to him, had died from cancer since, while he was in prison.

He told the court he was aware that what he had done was wrong. “But I am begging the judge to give me a second chance.”

Mr Smyth said his client had time to reflect during his time in Castlerea Prison and was taking positive steps to engage in a rehabilitation programme.

He had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and was anxious to continue his life outside prison and to receive the necessary treatment.

Judge John Aylmer said the accused had used his time well on remand and had been working in the kitchen which indicated a level of trust placed in him.

The Probation report had suggested that he could deal with his addictions and could play a positive role in society while securing employment.

Imposing a sentence of three years imprisonment, the judge said he was suspending the final twelve months of the sentence and taking into account the time the accused had spent in prison.

He would be released under the supervision of the Probation Services and ordered him to enter a bond of €100 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of 12 months.

He was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and drugs during that period.

The accused was subsequently allowed to leave prison on the day following his sentence.

Prosecuting counsel, Fiona Crawford, B.L. asked that a destruction order be put in place in relation to the drugs involved.

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