Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail for €400k cannabis 'errand boy'
Summary
Ank Vu, a 20‑year‑old chef from Vietnam, was sentenced to four‑and‑a‑half years' imprisonment for possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his Kilmainham address on 24 September 2020. He pleaded guilty and was described by the judge as having acted only as an "errand boy" or courier, unaware of the contents of the bags he carried. The cannabis, valued at €399,480, was seized from a van after a surveillance operation. Vu had been paid to load bags into a suitcase and hand them over to another person; he claimed he thought the bags contained clothing. The judge noted his lack of financial interest in the drugs and his family's residence in Vietnam, and suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions, back‑dating the term to 15 October 2020 when he first entered custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for €400k cannabis 'errand boy'. Charges or matters: possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his address on September 24, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 24, 2020 Incident
- October 15, 2020 Incident
- August 2020 Incident
- 2021-10-28 Publication
Why: He apologised and said that he felt suspicious but he did not ask questions because he got paid for doing it. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his address on September 24, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Melanie Greally said it seems Vu was "essentially acting as an errand boy for persons much further up the chain" and did not have any financial interest in the drugs seized. Judge Greally sentenced Vu to four-and-a-half years imprisonment but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Bow Bridge House
- Bow Lane
Topics
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