Court hears '£250,000' worth of cannabis was found in consignment of sofas at Larne port

Details were given to Ballymena Magistrates' Court where a man with a Newtownabbey address was charged in relation to December 17 last year.

Krystian Wierzbicki (38), of Fernagh Road, is charged with possessing cannabis with intent to supply; possessing MDMA with intent to supply; possession of MDMA and cocaine; and possession of 'criminal property'.

The defendant appeared at court via video link from prison.

He had the assistance of a Polish interpreter in court.

Objecting to bail, a police officer said a van was stopped. The defendant was a passenger.

When the back doors were opened there was a smell of cannabis.

The van contained sofas and a box was found containing five kilos of cannabis and small amounts of MDMA and cocaine.

A further search of the van uncovered 17 more kilos of cannabis "right at the back behind where all the sofas were". The drugs were worth "upwards of £250,000".

The defendant had to go to hospital after it appeared he was under the influence of drugs, the officer said.

The court heard that when interviewed, the defendant denied offences and said he was doing a co-defendant "a favour" by going on a trip to England to collect furniture and he "knew nothing about the drugs".

The officer said a co-accused - the driver of the van - also denied the offences saying he had been doing a "favour" for the defendant.

The officer said a third person - the van owner - said he had lent the van to the defendant. The officer said the owner was not believed to be involved in the offences.

The court was told the defendant had a record. He was convicted in January and June last year for drugs offences including possession of a Class A drug with intent to supply when he was given a suspended sentence.

The van driver in Larne, who had no record, had previously been released on bail.

At Thursday's court (January 15), Wierzbicki had bail refused and the case was adjourned to February 12.