Manchester man jailed for collecting €650,000 of cannabis at Dublin Airport

A man who collected over €650,000 worth of cannabis from New York said he didn’t know what was in his luggage when he was arrested at Dublin Airport, a court has heard.

 Jonathan Mafolo (26) of Abbey Close, Abbey Hey, Manchester, United Kingdom, was en route to Birmingham when he was stopped by customs officials at Terminal 2 on October 9 last year.

He pleaded guilty to importing over 32 kilos of cannabis in two padlocked suitcases, telling gardaí he did not have the code to open the baggage.

At a sitting of Dublin Circuit  Criminal Court on Wednesday, Judge Martin Nolan handed Mafolo a five-year sentence, backdated to the date of his arrest when he went also into custody.

Judge Nolan set a headline sentence of seven years but reduced this on account of what he described as a very impressive mitigation.

He said Mafolo had cooperated with gardaí, had a good work history, no record of conviction and came from a very good family. Numerous letters and character references for Mafolo were submitted to court, including from a reverend in his church community in Manchester.

“He has very good points and characteristics and his family are totally behind him,” said Judge Nolan, noting that it would be harder for Mafolo to be in an Irish prison where he will receive less visits.

Garda Jamie Connor told Karl Moran BL, prosecuting, that gardaí were asked to intercept a passenger travelling from JFK airport to Birmingham on the day in question.

Mafolo was identified at the gate by his passport and when his luggage was x-rayed, an anomaly was noticed.

He told gardaí he did not have the code to open his luggage and did not know what was inside as it had no smell. Mafolo said he did not take drugs himself.

Mafolo was interviewed twice and said he had found the bags outside his hotel in New York and as they were padlocked, there was no way he could have known what was in them.

He admitted he had been reckless and said he could not give gardaí any more information as it would put himself and his family in danger.

Gda Connor agreed with Conor Devally SC, defending, that Mafolo indicated that he was in fear and that he had gotten involved in this as his brother was in debt and he was trying to help him.

Mr Devally said Mafolo is from a well-established family in Manchester and was embedded in the Congolese community which was clustered around their local church.

Mafolo had been playing semi-professional football for Bury Football Club, the court heard, and also worked in security.

Letters were submitted from his parents, siblings, girlfriend and from many members of his church and football community expressing shock that Mafolo had become involved in this out-of-character offence.

The court heard that Mafolo is using his time well in custody and has achieved certificates to be a listener for the Samaritans. He is very well-regarded in his community, counsel said, and will not embrace the criminal world again.

Judge Nolan accepted that Mafolo was highly unlikely to reoffend and said it was credible that he had got into this trouble in order to help his brother.