German man remanded in custody over €2.9m cannabis seizure at Rosslare Europort
Wexford PeopleA German national has been refused bail after almost €3 million worth of cannabis was discovered concealed in a trailer that arrived into Rosslare Europort.
At Gorey District Court, Judge John Cheatle heard that customs officers uncovered a substantial quantity of drugs during an inspection of a vehicle which had travelled to Ireland by ferry from France.
The court heard that on June 4, 2026, a vehicle towing a trailer disembarked the Victoria Seaways ferry after arriving at Rosslare Europort from Dunkirk.
The vehicle was being driven by Mattes Warnecke (26), of Bennigsenstrasse, Bremen, Germany.
Garda Liam Redmond told the court that customs officers stopped the vehicle and carried out an X-ray examination of the trailer. During the scan, an anomaly was detected within a consignment of pallets being transported.
A subsequent search uncovered a concealed compartment hidden among the pallets. Gardaí alleged that the concealment contained 124 one-kilogram blocks of cannabis along with 7.9kg of cannabis resin.
The combined estimated value of the drugs was put at €2.947 million.
Gda Redmond informed the court that Warnecke was interviewed on four occasions and was said to change his story depending on the evidence put to him.
Lana Doherty, solicitor for the accused, stated that Warnecke maintained his innocence throughout interview and denied any knowledge of the illicit drugs.
The solicitor told the court that, given the nature of the proceedings, it could be approximately 12 months before the matter comes to trial at Wexford Circuit Criminal Court.
Ms Doherty stated her client would be willing to obtain an Irish address, surrender his passport, and family members are in the process of putting together a sum of €10,000 as independent surety.
However, Judge Cheatle said the quantity and value of the drugs before the court were substantial and refused the application for bail.
The matter is next before Gorey District Court on June 24 for mention with the accused to appear via video-link.