Courts / Dublin / Report
€1.1m in cocaine hidden in car's secret compartment
Summary
A Moldovan national has been sentenced to six and a half years in prison following his conviction for drug trafficking at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Stefan Copiimulti, aged 42 and residing in Dublin 15, pleaded guilty to possessing cocaine worth €1.12 million with intent to supply on 19 June 2023. Gardaí stopped a Hyundai vehicle at The Ward, Finglas, after conducting surveillance based on confidential information. Officers discovered the cocaine concealed within a hidden compartment located near the vehicle's radio console, operated by electronic fobs. Copiimulti provided false accounts regarding how he came to be driving the car, which CCTV footage and subsequent investigation contradicted. Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged mitigating factors including the defendant's early guilty plea, full cooperation with gardaí, absence of prior convictions, and work history. The judge departed from the mandatory ten-year minimum sentence on these grounds. The sentence was backdated to June 2023.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: €1.1m in cocaine hidden in car's secret compartment. Charges or matters: having a controlled drug for sale or supply at The Ward, Finglas, Dublin, on June 19, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 19, 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- June 2023 Other
- 2025-03-06 Publication
Why: He claimed he was driving the vehicle because his own car had been damaged, but gardai seized the defendant's car and found it to be in good repair. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: having a controlled drug for sale or supply at The Ward, Finglas, Dublin, on June 19, 2023 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan sentenced Copiimulti to six and a half years in prison, backdated to June 2023, when he was taken into custody.
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