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A 38-year-old man has been remanded in custody after suspected paramilitary linked drug seizure on Thursday.
Conor O’Donnell was connected to the charges at Dungannon Magistrates Court today (Saturday).
The court heard that on November 21 at 4.35pm police stopped a White Citroen Berlingo van on the Doogary Road in Omagh.
The officers searched the car and found 15 packages of suspected cocaine in the vehicle, initially valued at £750,000.
O’Donnell was arrested and conveyed to Strabane police station, where he accepted to have been the driver and provided a passcode to his phone.
He provided no comment to the rest of the questions put to him.
Police used the passcode to his phone but initially proved to be incorrect.
However shortly after they gained access and recovered GPS data which showed that he travelled to Thomastown in Co. Kilkenny before returning to the North through Aughnacloy.
O’Donnell was charged with possession of a class A drug with intent to supply and importing a controlled drug.
Police weighed the seized suspected cocaine and measured 18.3kg, with an estimated value of £1.8 million.
A police detective told the court that they objected to bail due to fears of reoffending.
The officer explained that they believed the drugs to be linked with a paramilitary organised crime gang, and said that O’Donnell may attempt to recuperate the loss from the drugs seizure.
However it was noted that the defendant had a limited record, with no drugs offences.
Defence solicitor Keith Kyle said that the case is still in ‘early stages’ and may not be before the Crown Court until next year.
Mr Kyle highlighted that O’Donnell had a presumption of innocence and said that the defendant provided the correct pin code to his phone at the start of the second police interview.
He added that O’Donnell had previously been a joiner until his diagnosis with MS and had five young children, reducing the possibility of a flight risk.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said that the seizure would be a ‘significant loss’ to the organised crime gang and said that these were serious charges faced by the defendant.
Judge Ranaghan refused bail due to the risk of further offending, with O’Donnell returning to Omagh Magistrates Court on December 17.
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