Courts / Dublin / Report
Brazilian drugs mule gets four years
Summary
A 25‑year‑old Brazilian national, Gilson Da Costa Santos, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for importing nearly €200,000 worth of cocaine into Ireland. He pleaded guilty to the offence at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after being stopped at Dublin Airport on 7 May 2025, where 2.85 kg of cocaine was found in his suitcase. Da Costa Santos admitted the importation and claimed he had swallowed drugs, but no evidence of ingestion was found in a hospital scan. He said he was acting under threat and that his family had been threatened, prompting his travel to Ireland with the drugs. The judge accepted his signed pleas and his role as a transporter, and backdated the sentence to the date he entered prison in May. The case was prosecuted by Fergal Foley BL and defended by Marc Thompson SC.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Brazilian drugs mule gets four years. Charges or matters: Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 7, 2025 Incident
- 2025-11-10 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He sentenced him to four years in prison, which he backdated to when Da Costa Santos entered prison last May.
Places mentioned
Topics
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