Tom Tuite
A pilot charged over a seizure of about €8.4 million of cocaine flown into the midlands in 2022 will go on trial in March.
Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) officers, supported by other units, monitored a Cessna single-engine aircraft landing at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, Co Longford, shortly after 6pm on August 4th, 2022.
Later that evening, they intercepted two vehicles in the Lough Owel area in Co Westmeath, recovering 120 kilogrammes of cocaine from one car.
Michal Luczak, 43, a Polish national formerly with an address at Primrose Avenue, Jigginstown, Naas, Co Kildare, and now living in Skerries, Dublin, is charged with possessing drugs worth more than €13,000 at the Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, on August 4th, 2022, and having it for the purpose of sale or supply.
The father of two remains on bail and has already indicated he is pleading not guilty.
He appeared before Judge Keenan Johnson at this week’s sessions of Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, where his trial had been due to start on November 26th.
However, Judge Johnson noted that a prosecution witness was unavailable, and there was consent to adjourn it until March 25th.
Judge Johnson heard Mr Luczak’s jury trial would last two weeks.
