Man pleads guilty to holding €300k of ketamine to pay off failed business debt

Dawood Aziz (37) of Valley Drive, Druid Valley, Cabinteely, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of €300,360 worth of ketamine and possession of a mobile phone for use in connection with a drug trafficking offence at Robinhood Industrial Estate, Dublin 22, on November 10, 2020.

Detective Garda Eamonn Tighe told Brian Storan BL, prosecuting, that gardaí had “confidential information particular to the accused” and set up a surveillance operation during which Aziz was spotted moving items from a premises to his van.

Gardaí moved in and searched the van and found just over €300,000 worth of ketamine in the vehicle. Aziz was arrested and accepted possession of the drugs. He said that someone had just dropped it off to him.

He told gardaí that he was in debt at the time, due to a failed business venture and he became involved as a way of clearing that debt.

Det Gda Tighe agreed with Michael Bowman SC, defending, that his client came from a very hard working and decent immigrant family who had built up a successful catering business.

He accepted that Aziz “struck out of his own” but quickly ran into quite substantial debt and that “others took advantage of this”.

Det Gda Tighe agreed that the phone Aziz was caught with is often provided by “individuals” in the drug industry to maintain secrecy.

“Yes, these phones are given out to people on a certain level, to avoid detection,” the detective said.

Mr Bowman told Judge Melanie Greally that it is understood that a custodial sentence is “inevitable” in the case.

Judge Greally remanded Aziz on continuing bail to October 17, next pending the preparation of a report from the Probation Service. Mr Bowman will also give a plea in mitigation on that date.