A Kerry businessman who played a role in the importation of almost 33-million-euro worth of crystal meth will be sentenced in December.
Today, Nathan McDonnell, from Ballyroe in Tralee, admitted his role in what was the largest seizure of the drug in the history of the State.
Hidden inside the empty shell of a recycling machine found inside a shipping container at the Port of Cork, gardai and Revenue officers found over 500kg of the synthetic drug, crystal meth.
The machine had been imported from Mexico and, according to its shipping papers, it was destined for Australia.
The drugs had a street value of just under 33 million euro.
Today, Nathan McDonnell admitted his role in the importation of the drugs; as well as a charge of facilitating a criminal gang with its drug dealing operation.
After entering his pleas today, the 44-year-old father of three, a former CEO of Ballyseedy Garden Centre, was further remanded in custody ahead of his sentence hearing in December.
His co-accused, 41-year-old James Leen, with an address in Listowel, Co Kerry, is due to stand trial on the 6th of October next year.
Reporting by Frank Greaney
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