Man jailed for concealing €250,000 of cannabis in his car

By Jessica Magee

 A man who concealed cannabis herb worth a quarter of a million euro in a lead-lined compartment in his car has been jailed for five and half years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

 Donatas Koncevicius (40) was stopped by gardaí earlier this year at Junction 4 of the M3, after travelling through Dublin Port on a ferry from Cherbourg, France.

 He later pleaded guilty to possessing the drugs for sale or supply and to possessing a concealed compartment to facilitate drug trafficking on March 2, 2024.

 Garda Stephen Gillespie told Ed O’Mahony BL, prosecuting, that gardaí had been monitoring the car after they got confidential information on it.

 The court heard it took gardaí over an hour to break into what was described as an “elaborate concealment” between the back passenger seat and the boot.

 Garda Gillespie said the mechanised compartment was operated by a switch under the driver’s seat, agreeing that the modification was “not something that would be commonly or commercially available”.

 The compartment was lined with lead and contained cannabis herb valued at €258,224, the court heard.

 Koncevicius was the registered owner of the car and had travelled from Dublin to Cherbourg on February 23 on an Irish Ferries boat, leaving France for the return leg on March 1.

 He was interviewed by gardaí four times but made no comment.

 Koncevicius has no previous convictions and is married with two daughters.

 Originally from Lithuania, he has been in Ireland for 20 years, the court heard.

 Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said Koncevicius had a sad and tragic upbringing, blighted by alcoholism in the family which led to periodic depression in him as an adult.

 Koncevicius has a long work history in the motoring and catering industries, but the court heard he was made redundant about five months before committing this offence.

 Counsel said the redundancy led to financial pressures and Koncevicius felt he was not providing for his family in the way he should have been.

 “That’s how he came into contact with those who arranged for the drug importation,” said Mr McGinn.

 Gda Gillespie said Koncevicius was “not at the top level, but he certainly was not at the bottom either”.

 Koncevicius has no addiction issues and is doing well in custody, counsel said, submitting a governor’s report to show that his client is on an enhanced regime in prison.

 Letters were also handed in from Koncevicius and his wife.

 Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of eight years but reduced this to an actual sentence of six years.

 She suspended the final six months of the sentence and backdated it to March 4, when Koncevicius went into custody.