Man caught with €500,000 of cannabis was trying to pay off gambling debt

By Fiona Ferguson

A man caught with almost €500,000 of cannabis told gardai he was attempting to pay off a €100,000 gambling debt, a court has head.

Toma Dani (43) was attempting to dispose of some of the drugs in an underground car park bin when gardai searched his home. He was today/yesterday (FRI) jailed for four years and six months.

Dani, of Custom Hall, Gardiner Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to possession of the drugs for sale or supply at his home on September 10, 2023. He has no previous convictions.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard a search warrant had been obtained to search Dani’s home and he was found by gardai discarding items into a bin in an underground car park. The cannabis found in the bin and in a search of his home was valued at €474,000 in total.

Gardai also recovered €6,370, which Dani admitted was the proceeds of drug sales. Drug paraphernalia, such as bagging and scales, was also found. Dani was arrested and interviewed.

He told gardai he had gambling debts of €100,000 he was attempting to pay off. He had reduced the debt to €70,000 over the previous year.

The court heard he had suffered a back injury, which prevented him from working.

Judge Orla Crowe said Dani had no drug problem but had decided to engage in drug dealing to alleviate his debts and had been selling cannabis for a year. She noted he had made full admission to his role and was remorseful.

She noted a letter of apology before the court, as well as a letter from a friend and his partner.

Judge Crowe said the court sees “day in and day out” the deleterious effect of drugs on society and the havoc that they cause in people’s lives.

She set a headline sentence of six years imprisonment but in light of the mitigating and personal circumstances imposed a four year and six month sentence.