Two men were remanded in custody when they appeared at Derry Magistrates Court charged in connection with a £150,000 drugs seizure in the city earlier this week.
William Duncan (68), of Moore Street and Paul Rodgers, of Stoneypath, both in the Waterside area, are jointly charged with having cannabis and amphetamines with intent to supply.
They are also charged with having and concealing criminal property.
The court heard the drugs were found in a hotpress cupboard during a forced entry search of Duncan’s home on Tuesday evening last.
A police officer told the court that during the search £3,700 was discovered in a drawer.
The officer told the court, while police were at the property Duncan arrived home having been “dropped off” by Rodgers.
The officer said £6,000 was found during a follow-up search at Rodgers’ home.
Opposing bail, the officer said the amount of drugs seized was “criminal gang level” and that Duncan had served a three year jail sentence in 2010 following the discovery of drugs in a suitcase he had been carrying at a French airport.
The officer said police regarded Duncan, originally from Edinburgh, as a flight risk, stressing he was much-travelled and had a girlfriend in Sierra Leone whom he intended to marry.
The court was told while going through the “booking in” process after his arrest, Duncan said he was keeping the drugs for another person and it was not his intention to supply them.
The court also heard that during interviews, he told police there had been more drugs and that these had been taken by someone else who he was not prepared to name.
The court was told both men had known each other for several years and Rodgers would regularly assist Duncan with his shopping.
Rodgers, the court was told, said the money seized in his home was to help his son set up in business and that during police questioning he refused to give a sample of his handwriting although he did consent to his DNA being taken.
Defence solicitor, Brian Stelfox, conceded to the application to remand Duncan in custody but argued there was no evidence to suggest Rodgers was involved in drug dealing and insisted the money seized in his home was to aid his son’s new business venture.
District Judge Barney McElholm rejected Rodgers’ bail application and remanded both men in custody to appear via videolink at Derry Magistrates Court on 27 March next.
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