Courts / Cork / Report

€60m cocaine conspiracy accused fails in bid to have bail refusal overturned

Summary

Raul Tabares Garcia, a Spanish national accused of conspiring to import drugs, has lost his appeal against a High Court ruling refusing him bail. At the Court of Appeal, Mr Justice Alexander Owens upheld the decision, stating the court saw no error in principle or law. Mr Garcia, of Cadiz, faces a charge of conspiring contrary to section 71 of the Criminal Justice Act 2006 to import drugs in excess of €13,000 between February 27 and March 14, 2024. He was one of ten men arrested in March 2024 during operations near Skibbereen, west Cork, where vehicles and nautical equipment were seized. Prosecutors alleged the group was involved in a transnational drug trafficking operation linked to 840kgs of cocaine valued at approximately €60 million. The High Court judge had previously deemed Mr Garcia a serious flight risk due to his foreign nationality and potential resources. Although his counsel argued he had local connections and proposed sureties, the Court of Appeal rejected these arguments, noting his lack of connection to the country. Seven co-accused, including Mario Angel Del Rio Sanz, Anuar Rahui Chairi, Aleksandar Milic, Kiumaars Ghabiri, Pedro Pablo Ojeda Ortega, and Angel Serran Padilla, have already pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges and were sentenced to a combined 70 years in prison last December. The matter was adjourned following the refusal of the bail application.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: €60m cocaine conspiracy accused fails in bid to have bail refusal overturned. Charges or matters: conspiring to import drugs; drug trafficking. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• March 2024 Incident
• February 27 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 14, 2024 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2026-05-21 Publication

Why: In launching an appeal against this High Court decision today, counsel for Mr Garcia, Kathleen Leader SC, said that just because there is strong evidence and the accused man is not an Irish national, it did not mean that bail should be refused. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Appeal

Related court reports

• 'Alternative dispute resolution': man arranged 'straightener' during which dad-of-seven was stabbed to death
• Murder accused pleads guilty to violent disorder at playground
• Dutch woman offered €30k surety for friend after reading news article on €60m drugs seizure
• Dutch teacher sold house to provide surety for alleged cocaine smuggler
• Failed rendezvous at sea - Court hears of foiled smuggling operation off south coast
• Spanish national admits to drug conspiracy

Read the original CNI report