A man from Malaysia, known as Lowe Kim Swee (35), with residence in Johor at Jalan Mutiara Mas, and Chong Chong Nen (45) from Kuala Lumpur’s Pandan Indah, also Malaysian, attended Dublin District Court on Monday. They were detained upon arrival at Dublin Airport with a suspected cannabis stash worth €420,000. Each individual is facing charges for illegal drug import, possession, and intent to sell or supply at Terminal 1 on June 2nd.
Pierce O’Dwyer, a member of the Garda, stated to Judge Alan Mitchell that after being moved to the Ballymun station, Mr Swee, accompanied by an interpreter, gave no feedback to the accusations. Tracy Horan, his defence lawyer, relayed that her client is currently not applying for bail. Mr Swee conveyed through her to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) his desire to be transferred on a confessed plea to the Circuit Court to get his case advanced as soon as feasible.
Regarding the potential guilt plea, Judge Mitchell noted that the defendant would have to let go of his right to test the substance in question at Forensic Science Ireland which handles proof scrutiny for the nation’s criminal justice system. He acknowledged that the alleged value was €420,000 and weighed 21 kilogrammes.
Horan revealed that her client was compliant and informed the authorities that he assumed he was merely importing valuable bird nests into the region, rather than the illegal substance they claim. The judge delayed ruling on the location of Mr Swee’s trial, including whether to transfer the case to the Circuit Court, which possesses a wider sentencing authority, subject to further communication with the DPP by his solicitor. The offences are labelled under the Misuse of Drugs Act.
The secondary defendant has yet to plea and did not apply for bail, requiring directives from the DPP for his own case. Legal aid, as well as help from a Mandarin-Chinese interpreter, were allotted to the two men during their court sessions. Their next appearance is scheduled for Wednesday.