By Claire Henry
A Malaysian national has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for bringing over €360,000 worth of cannabis into the country.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Lee Zhu Xuan (21), from Pereak, Malaysia, pleaded guilty to the importation of cannabis at Terminal 2, Dublin Airport, on June 5, 2024. He has no previous convictions.
Passing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan described this as a “serious offence”. He stated that there is a mandatory minimum of a ten-year prison term for this offence.
Judge Nolan said that he could depart from this ten-year sentence due to the mitigating factors. He said that this defendant has no previous convictions, entered an early guilty plea, was cooperative and made admissions to both customs and the gardai. He also acknowledged that he is a foreign national far from home.
Judge Nolan sentenced him to three and a half years in prison, backdated to June 5, 2024, when Xuan went into custody.
Garda Alex Murphy told George Murphy, BL, prosecuting, that a Revenue officer observed Xuan on the day in question and noted that he was acting suspiciously. He told the officer that he had travelled from Malaysia. The officer searched his bag, and 36 vacuum-packed bags were found.
The court heard the Xuan was brought to an interview room and cautioned. He told Revenue officers that “a friend gave him the bag and that he did not know what was in it”. He further stated that he was due to stay in Ireland for five days.
Gda Murphy said Xuan had a return ticket and had told officers that he was due to meet someone outside the airport and give them the bag. He said a friend had booked and paid for the flight.
Tests were carried out on the vacuum-packed bags, and cannabis valued at just over €360,000 were confirmed. Xuan stated that he did not take drugs and had no drug debt and that he had only met his friend, who gave him the bag and booked the flights a week earlier. He was promised the equivalent of €2,800 for his role.
During his garda interview, he said that he met this person online, and they stated that they were looking for people to bring counterfeit goods and bird nests into the country. He said he was studying music and had high educational fees. When he was shown the drugs and told that they were cannabis, he said he “deeply regretted that I did something stupid”.
Gda Murphy agreed with James Dwyer, SC, defending, that his client cooperated with customs and acted as a courier.
The garda agreed with counsel that Xuan gave his name and address and was due to meet someone with the bag.
The court heard that bird nests are a delicacy and are of high value.
Mr Dwyer said his client planned to return home and continue his studies. He said that Xuan’s father was a fruit farmer, and all the family’s financial burden fell on him. He said he was trying to help his family.
He said his client was working in the kitchen in Cloverhill Prison and studying in prison.
Counsel handed the court a very positive governor’s report, an educational report, and a letter of apology from Xuan. A letter from his father was also handed into the court.
Mr Dwyer asked the court to consider his client’s early guilty plea, his cooperation and that he made admissions. He asked the court to be as lenient as possible.