Courts / Dublin / Report

'Crime of desperation' - Brazilian swallowed 100 pellets of cocaine

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Lucas Andre Alves, a 26‑year‑old Brazilian from Rio de Janeiro, pleaded guilty to possession of 100 pellets of cocaine worth €57,342 for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on 8 September 2024. Alves, who had lost his job in Brazil, admitted ingesting the pellets before travelling to Ireland, describing the act as a "crime of desperation." He has no prior convictions and has been in custody since his arrest. Judge Martin Nolan, noting Alves' guilty plea, good work history and the circumstances of the offence, imposed a two‑year and nine‑month sentence, back‑dated to September 2024, and departed from the ten‑year mandatory minimum. Garda Peter Elliot reported that Alves was stopped at customs, admitted to ingesting the pellets, and that he had been pressured by others to pay for his travel and documents.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Crime of desperation' - Brazilian swallowed 100 pellets of cocaine. Charges or matters: possession of the drugs worth €57,342 for sale or supply at Dublin Airport on September 8, 2024. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 8, 2024 Incident
• September 2024 Incident
• 2025-10-17 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report