Gas fitter jailed for role in €260,000 cannabis importation

By Niamh O’Donoghue

A gasfitter who transported drugs for a transnational organisation that imported €260,000 of cannabis has been jailed for four years.

Karl Phipps (42) of Beau Park Mews, Clongriffin, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply on September 4, 2025.

He has 27 previous convictions.

Passing sentence yesterday Judge Jonathan Dunphy noted Phipps has a previous conviction for dealing cannabis in the form of edibles.

He said he was taking into consideration the negative effect of drugs on society but also noted that Phipps played a lesser role in the movement of the drugs and that gardai had been monitoring others involved in importing the drugs.

He imposed a custodial sentence of five years and suspended the final year on conditions, including that Phipps keep the peace and remain drug free.

He backdated the sentence to September last year when Phipps went into custody.

Detective Garda Dean Healy gave evidence that Phipps was not part of, but was assisting, a transnational organisation to import drugs.

He told prosecuting counsel Aideen Collard BL that a surveillance operation was underway, and a male suspect had driven a truck of interest into Dublin Port.

The truck left the port and met with two men in a Mercedes.

The Mercedes drove up to a Fiat Doblò driven by Phipps.

Phipps was seen assisting by putting two boxes containing vacuum packs into an Opel Vivaro van when gardai intercepted it.

The court heard 13.4 kg of cannabis and three phones were seized. Phipps and another man were arrested.

Phipps was brought to Ashbourne Garda Station for questioning but there was insufficient evidence to charge the others, the court heard.

The court was told the other three men have addresses in the UK.

Following a consultation with a solicitor, Phipps stated he was a gas fitter and met a man who offered him €500 to collect the drugs.

He said he assisted with the transfer of the boxes and was to meet someone with the two boxes at Coolock.

Phipps said he moved in with his parents and was trying to save money for a start-up business.

He said he was a cannabis user but maintained he was not part of a criminal organisation.

He told gardai he “does not consider cannabis to be harmful” and would not have done it if it had been heroin.

In a later interview he said he received a phone call from a person to do the job, but he could not name him because he was in fear.

He admitted the three mobiles seized were his and gave his PINs   to gardai.

He also said in interview he had a €3,000 drug debt and this was his first time moving drugs.

There were three messages of relevance on his phones.

He had a Signal messaging conversation asking if he had any cannabis and another message with an individual asking if he had any “hazes”, which the court was told is another name for cannabis.

When arrested, he was also in possession of a bundle of €50 notes. Phipps is in custody since September 4, 2025.

The  Doblò van he was driving was leased to him.

Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC, defending, said Phipps is now an enhanced prisoner and wants to do a course in business management.

Counsel said urinalysis on the court file states he is drug-free.

Phipps apologised in a letter to the court and to the gardai.

Mr Ó Dúnlaing said his client is separated and is the father of a teenager.

He said his client needed money to find his own apartment and had “a difficulty with cocaine and tablets”.

Counsel said Phipps “recklessly and foolishly contributed” and submitted his client “wasn’t on the radar of gardai” previously and they did not know he was involved in the operation when he was intercepted.

“People do not realise that these drugs are going to bring devastation on the streets,” said Mr Ó Dúnlaing.