Pubdate: Wed, 01 Nov 2000
Source: Irish Examiner (Ireland)
Copyright: Examiner Publications Ltd, 2000
Contact:  http://www.examiner.ie/
Author: Michael Doyle

DRUGS COURIERS EACH JAILED FOR SIX YEARS

Two men who were caught with cannabis valued at pounds 145,000 have 
each been jailed for six years by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin 
Circuit Criminal Court.

Englishman Roy Foster, 52, and Dutchman Jan August Neijens, 49, both 
with addresses in the south of Spain, pleaded guilty to possession 
with intent to supply and to unlawful importation of the drugs on 
February 5, 2000.

Detective Garda Danny Kelly told Mr Paul Coffey BL, prosecuting, that 
on foot of confidential information he got a search warrant for a 
flat in Abbey Street, Dublin. Foster was there when the search began 
and Neijens arrived in a taxi shortly afterwards.

The gardai located 40 bars of cannabis on a couch and another 16 bars 
were found strapped to Neijens' body. A further two bars were found 
in a hold all bag he was carrying.

Garda Kelly said Foster had also transported an amount of cannabis in 
a similar fashion. Both men had travelled separately from Malaga that 
day with the bars and had flown to Dublin from Madrid by different 
routes, Neijens via Barcelona and Foster via Brussels.

Neijens was paid 135,000 Pesetas for transporting four and half 
kilos, while Foster was paid a similar amount for transporting five 
kilos.

Garda Kelly said both men admitted their part in the offences at the 
very start and were very co operative.

George Birmingham SC, for Neijens, said his client moved to Malaga in 
1994 after the death of his wife. He referred to him as a `mule' who 
was being used by others to import the drugs.

Michael O'Higgins SC, for Foster, said his client moved to the Costa 
del Sol in 1998 to live with his father after his marriage broke up. 
He had a couple of businesses that were in trouble financially.

Judge Dunne said under the Criminal Justice Act of 1999 the minimum 
sentence she could impose for offenders in possession of drugs in 
excess of pounds 10,000 was 10 years. She did, however, say the Act 
also provided for the sentence to be at the liberty of the court if 
certain exceptional circumstances existed.
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