Tyrone pair remanded in custody after £2.1 million drugs swoop

TWO men have appeared in court today after a significant swoop by the PSNI Organised Crime Branch who seized an estimated £2.1 million in drugs.

Thomas Dominic Taggart (37), from Sullenboy Park, Cookstown, and Barry McMoran (48), of Doon Avenue, Dungannon, are jointly-charged with possessing and intending to supply cannabis.

A detective constable told Enniskillen Magistrates Court the charges could be connected.

She explained that, shortly before 2am on Saturday, May 18, police observed a Mitsubishi Shogun towing a trailer and a BMW at Larne harbour, which had been travelling in convoy.

They stopped at a service station where the Shogun was refuelled by Taggart.

The trailer was carrying concrete blocks and chamber risers and the vehicles continued on to Coalisland where they were stopped by police.

It was noted the trailer was no longer attached to the Shogun, which had been travelling under trade plates with no apparent link to Taggart.

By this time, information had been received that both men were involved in drugs criminality and were arrested.

A search was conducted of a shed in a laneway very close to whether the men were detained.

A key fob for the shed shutter lock was found in the BMW, which had been driven by McMoran, and, once inside, officers discovered the trailer, concrete blocks and chamber risers.

While the men were being taken into custody police uncovered 210 kilos of suspected cannabis resin.

In addition, four phones were seized – two from each vehicle – as well as a number of other items including travel documents from the previous week.

Both were interviewed and McMoran provided a pre-prepared statement setting out how �on legal advice� he wished to remain silent until police disclosure was made when he would seek an opportunity to speak with his solicitor in order to provide an account.

He thereafter remained silent over the entirety of four interviews.

Taggart, however, confirmed knowing McMoran through former employment and claimed he had arranged work in the West Midlands for around five weeks driving tipper lorries.

Part of this involved delivering concrete blocks to a person nearby, and it was Taggart’s responsibility to arrange the vehicle and trailer for this.

He said McMoran made the blocks and the purpose of travelling on May 10 was to deliver these in England. However, this job was later terminated.

On return on May 18, Taggart claimed he left the trailer and blocks in the shed and denied any knowledge or association with the seized drugs.

The detective said some material has been extracted from the seized phones, showing contact between the defendants, as well as messages indicating Taggart having access to the shed before the offences were detected.

He confirmed having a drugs addiction and is under “significant pressure due to an outstanding debt.”

While McMoran did not apply for bail, Taggart did, but was opposed by the detective who said, “Police consider him to be part of an organised crime gang involved in bringing large quantities of drugs into this jurisdiction. The level of concealment of the drugs shows sophistication and a significant financial hit has been suffered.

“Police believe the defendant will be pressurised into recouping the massive amount of drugs seized.”

His solicitor said Taggart could be released to reside at an address approved by police and other conditions the court saw fit.

District Judge Alana McSorley refused bail, stating, “This was a significant seizure of drugs which required a level of organisation and sophistication to execute such an operation of this scale.”

Both men will appear again by videolink at Dungannon Magistrates Court on June 12.