Two men jailed for transporting over €600,000 worth of drugs

By Sonya McLean

 Two men who were involved in a “transport chain” of just over €600,000 worth of drugs have been jailed for five and half years.

Zhenmin Lin (38) of no fixed abode and Ervins Sermulis (45) of Linnet Fields Park, Castaheany, Dublin 15, both pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to having the drugs for sale or supply and having cash believing it to be or being reckless as to whether it was the proceeds of crime in Balrothery, Balbriggan on March 30, 2023.

Judge Martin Nolan noted that the gardaí had information that Sermulis was bringing drugs into Ireland on a vehicle transporter.

He said both men were part of a transport chain and were going to be rewarded for their work. “They both needed the money because of their own issues. Temptation was put in their way and they both succumbed,” Judge Nolan continued.

He said both men had good mitigation including a good work history and accepted submissions that they were unlikely to re-offend but he added they were both mature men who committed misjudgements “because of their own needs”. “They both deserve to go to prison,” Judge Nolan said, before he jailed them for five and half years.

Detective Garda Liam Mangan told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, that gardaí had information in relation to the importation and distribution of controlled drugs and it was believed that Sermulis was concealing drugs in vehicles he was carrying on a vehicle transporter.

The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau set up a surveillance operation around a particular yard in Balbriggan and saw Sermulis drive in. He drove a Range Rover jeep off the transporter and parked it next to an unoccupied Volvo jeep.

He moved three large holdall bags from the Range Rover into the Volvo and then returned to the transporter before driving out of the yard.

Some time later, Sermulis returned to the yard and after a short time Lin arrived as the passenger in a taxi. The bags were moved from the Volvo jeep into the taxi and Sermulis was also seen with a thick square envelope in his hand.

The taxi was later stopped by gardaí and searched. Det Gda Mangan confirmed that just over 31kg of cannabis, worth just over €620,000, was discovered in the taxi.

Lin and the taxi driver were both arrested. The yard was also searched as was the cab of the transporter. A quantity of cash, €15,200, was found in the cab.

Sermulis was also arrested and interviewed. He admitted that he had put the drugs into the taxi and said he had been paid to transport them from the UK. He said he previously had a cocaine problem.

Lin told gardaí he got involved because of a gambling debt he had run up due to his addiction.

Sermulis had two previous convictions for very minor road traffic offences, while Lin had no convictions.

Det Gda Mangan agreed with Conor Devally SC, defending Sermulis, that his client co-operated with the garda investigation. He said he was very fearful of indicating who had approached him to get involved and the detective accepted that this was “a legitimate fear”.

Det Gda Mangan agreed with Paul Carroll SC, defending Lin, that his client had massive gambling problems that had “effectively destroyed his marriage”. He was living in a car at the time of his arrest.

Det Gda Mangan said the men had equal roles in the operation.

Mr Devally said his client wanted to convey his apologies to the court and the others in his life he had let down due to his involvement in this offence.

He suggested to the court that Sermulis was “unlikely to re-offend again”. He said he drifted into cocaine addiction and “was induced to make this awful shift in his moral compass”.

Mr Carroll said his client has been on remand in custody since his arrest. He had been living in his car after his marriage broke down because of his gambling addiction