Courts / Dublin / Report
Nine years for taxi driver embroiled in €3.5m drugs operation
Summary
Michael Smullen, a 31‑year‑old Dublin taxi driver and father of two, was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment for possessing drugs in a €3.5 million operation. Gardaí observed him taking two bags from a lock‑up facility, driving a short distance and handing them to another man. The bags contained cannabis and cocaine worth over €114,900. Investigators later found 18.5 kg of cocaine, heroin, ketamine, cannabis herb and resin, and €51,000 of MDMA in the lock‑up, behind boxes of dried flowers, with a total drug value of €3,592,374. Smullen pleaded guilty to two possession charges at St Joseph's Avenue and St Columba's Road Lower, Drumcondra, on 20 December 2017. He had no prior convictions except minor traffic offences. His counsel argued that Smullen had taken on his cousin's debt to dealers under pressure and that he had a tendency to assume other people's problems.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Nine years for taxi driver embroiled in €3.5m drugs operation. Charges or matters: two charges of possessing the drugs at St Joseph's Avenue and St Columba's Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin, on December 20, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 20, 2017 Incident
- 2019-02-14 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: two charges of possessing the drugs at St Joseph's Avenue and St Columba's Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin, on December 20, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He asked the judge to take into account Smullen's early guilty plea and to suspend the final part of the sentence imposed. Judge Sheahan imposed a nine year prison sentence after noting Smullen's involvement was not due to addiction.
Places mentioned
- Oak Park Avenue
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- St Joseph's Avenue
- St Columba's Road
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Taxi Trouble
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
Help us improve this report
Your request is saved for the newsroom's next review. It does not immediately change the published report.
Prefer email? Send a correction request.