Brit jailed over 19m baht Thailand cannabis run at Dublin airport
Judge rules sentence warranted, hands suspect 3.5-year term
A British man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in Dublin after admitting to importing nearly 500,000 euros (approximately 19 million baht) worth of cannabis from Thailand, destined for sale in Ireland.
The man, 22 year old Jamie Kearns from Arley in Coventry, was stopped by customs officers at Terminal One in Dublin Airport while arriving from Thailand via Doha on February 12. When asked if he had packed his own bags, he replied, “No.”
Officers discovered approximately 24.5kg of cannabis packed into 48 vacuum-sealed bags, with an estimated street value of 489,440 euros.
Kearns, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to possession and importation of drugs. During interviews, he told police he had racked up a drug debt of £4,000 while backpacking in Thailand. Although his father had previously paid off the debt, Kearns said he was approached and asked to transport the drugs back to Ireland.
The court heard the drugs were destined for Donegal. Police officer Peter Mullins told the court that Kearns was fully cooperative and admitted the offences. He had been in custody since his arrest and, according to Mullins, was acting as a “mule.”
Judge Martin Nolan acknowledged the seriousness of the crime and the quantity of drugs involved.
On Thursday, November 6, Judge Nolan said that a custodial sentence was clearly warranted and handed down a prison term of three and a half years, backdated to the date of Kearns’ arrest.
“There is a mandatory minimum of 10 years, which I feel I can depart from. Kearns was young at the time, and young people make bad decisions. He undoubtedly deserves a custodial sentence.”
Kearns’ defence counsel, Padraig Dwyer SC, described his client as a man of good character who had never been in trouble before and was not known to Irish or UK police. He argued that the offence was committed in desperation, driven by the hope of clearing personal debts.
“He is a young man who finds himself in a very serious position.”
Dwyer confirmed that Kearns intends to return to the UK and live a law-abiding life once released, reported The Irish Mirror.
The court was told Kearns has strong family ties in Thailand and had visited the country numerous times before the incident.
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