Courts / Dublin / Report
Pair involved in transporting €620k in cannabis jailed for 5.5 years
Summary
Two men, Zhenmin Lin, 38, and Ervins Sermulis, 45, were convicted in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for possessing and transporting €620,000 worth of cannabis. They pleaded guilty to having the drugs for sale or supply and to having cash they believed to be or being reckless about whether it was proceeds of crime. The drugs were found in a taxi and a vehicle transporter in Balrothery, Balbriggan, after a Garda surveillance operation. Lin admitted involvement due to gambling debt, while Sermulis said he had been paid to transport the drugs from the UK and had a prior cocaine problem. Both men were sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment. The judge noted their good mitigation, work history, and unlikely re‑offending, but said they had committed misjudgements because of personal needs. The sentence reflects their equal roles in the transport chain.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pair involved in transporting €620k in cannabis jailed for 5.5 years. Charges or matters: having the drugs for sale or supply and having cash believing it to be or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime in Balrothery, Balbriggan on March 30, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 30, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-03-12 Publication
Why: "They both needed the money because of their own issues. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: having the drugs for sale or supply and having cash believing it to be or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime in Balrothery, Balbriggan on March 30, 2023 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He said both men had good mitigation including a good work history and accepted submissions that they were unlikely to re-offend but he added they were both mature men who committed misjudgements "because of their own needs". "They both deserve to go to prison," Judge Nolan said, before he jailed them for five and a half years.
Defendant
Charges: having the drugs for sale or supply and having cash believing it to be or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime in Balrothery, Balbriggan on March 30, 2023 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He said both men had good mitigation including a good work history and accepted submissions that they were unlikely to re-offend but he added they were both mature men who committed misjudgements "because of their own needs". "They both deserve to go to prison," Judge Nolan said, before he jailed them for five and a half years.
Places mentioned
- Linnet Fields Park
- Dublin
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Balbriggan
- Sermulis drive
Topics
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