Cannabis plants worth €72,000 found in Islandeady growhouse

A 30-year-old man who ran a growhouse operation on behalf of a Lithuanian drugs gang at Islandeady, near Castlebar, was remanded in custody to Friday next at the Circuit Criminal Court in Castlebar today (Monday).

Edgaras Stalygas, a Lithuanian national, pleaded guilty at an earlier court to possessing and cultivating cannabis in a house which had been rented for him at Cloonan, Islandeady.

When gardaí, on foot of confidential information, raided the property on June 9 of last year they had to force the rear door to gain entry.

Detective Garda Sinead Caheny told Judge Sean Ó Donnabhaín that a total of 90 cannabis plants with flowering tops were discovered in the attic, which had been divided into two specific areas.

The total street value of the find was €72,000, the detective garda stated.

She added that cannabis with a street value of €219.20 was also recovered. The accused told gardaí this was for his own personal use.

Detective Garda Caheny said the growhouse was part of a bigger drugs operation by a Lithuanian gang who had rented six houses throughout Ireland. All of the houses had been converted for the growing of cannabis.

The accused has been in custody since June 10 of last year.

Ms. Roisín Lacy, counsel for Stalygas, told the judge the accused was merely a 'worker' in the growhouse operation.

He did not have a passport, Ms. Lacy said, as he had lost the document on a visit to Castlebar.

Counsel added that the accused, who had never worked or drawn social welfare, had spent time in Germany and now hopes to rejoin his brothers there.

Judge Ó Donnabhaín said he would not be able to suspend part of a prison sentence unless the accused was in a position to leave the country.

He then put sentencing back to Friday to see whether the solicitors for Stalygas could take steps to get a passport for him so that he could remove himself from the jurisdiction.