THE Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is expected to issue directions within two weeks in the cases of two men who are among 10 accused of conspiring to import drugs into Ireland as part of an alleged international drugs gang.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
Juan Antonio Gallardo, 56, of 12 Turina Street, Cadiz, Spain and Aleksander Milic, 27, of Svetorgorska 15, Flat 5, Belgrade, Serbia both appeared by video link from Cork Prison at Mallow District Court.
Court presenter Sergeant Linda O’Leary told the court that the DPP was indicating that directions in the case were expected to be ready in the next two weeks. Mr Milic said, via a Serbian interpreter, that he had been in custody for eight months and wanted to know when his case would be heard.
Judge Colm Roberts said that similar cases with similar circumstances did experience delays and that Mr Milic was ‘not alone’ in that regard. The judge added that the DPP had indicated directions would be ready soon so on that basis at the next hearing the case would either be ‘going on or going out’.
Mr Milic and Mr Gallardo were both remanded in custody to appear again via video link on November 26th.
The two men are charged with conspiracy with others to import controlled drugs in excess of €13,000 between February 27 and March 14 into the State. They were arrested when gardaí stopped a truck and an SUV at Tragumna Pier and a camper van in the village of Leap, as part of an ongoing operation into alleged organised crime.
