Courts / Dublin / Report

Raid of 'small drugs factory' saw €500k worth of heroin, cocaine seized

Date
2023-04-27

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Roy Reilly, 53, was sentenced to seven years in prison after authorities seized €560,166 worth of heroin, cannabis and cocaine from a modified Opal Insignia car and a Dublin 8 apartment described as a "small drugs factory." Gardaí found £42,960 in laundered money, 19 g of cocaine, 2 kg of heroin, 11 kg of cannabis, 560 g of cocaine, a hydraulic press, a blender, bagging material, scales, ten mobile phones, 1.3 kg of benzocaine, 2 kg of caffeine and paracetamol. Documents including Reilly's driving licence, passport and vehicle registration were recovered. Reilly pleaded guilty to possession of the money and drugs, admitting possession of heroin, cocaine and cannabis for sale or supply. The judge described him as a trusted participant in a large enterprise, noting his high level of culpability and that he had pleaded early. The sentence was back‑dated to the day he was taken into custody.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Raid of 'small drugs factory' saw €500k worth of heroin, cocaine seized. Charges or matters: possessing £42,960 as the proceeds of crime in the car at St John's Road West, Dublin 8, on July 27 last. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

July 27 Incident
July 26 Incident
2023-04-27 Publication

Case subjects

Roy Reilly

Defendant

Charges: possessing £42,960 as the proceeds of crime in the car at St John's Road West, Dublin 8, on July 27 last (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Passing sentence today, Judge Orla Crowe said that although Reilly didn't have any trappings of wealth, he had certainly been "heavily involved". "He was a trusted, active participant in a very big enterprise; he had a lot of responsibility," said the judge. Judge Crowe set a headline sentence of nine years and said Reilly had a high level of culpability. "He was clearly in a trusted position to drive around in a specially adapted car in his name, and he was in charge of operations at the drug factory," she said. "He became involved with drugs at an age where he really ought to have known better," she added, but noted that Reilly had pleaded early and had been using his time in custody very well.