Poultry farm worker was paid €100 to ‘collect’ drugs package in Limerick town

A POLISH man who was paid €100 to collect a package containing illicit drugs worth almost €30,000 has been jailed for two years.

Marcin Wilczewski, 35, who has an address at Daar River Walk, Newcastle West pleaded guilty to possession of almost 1.5kg of Cannabis Resin at Templegreen, Newcastle West on January 18, 2018.

During a sentencing hearing, Sergeant Marin McCarthy told Limerick Circuit Court the drugs, which were vacuum-packed under some books, were intercepted and seized after gardai were alerted to the package.

He said it had been addressed to another foreign national and that suspicions were raised when two Irish men tried to collect it without having the proper paperwork.

A controlled delivery was then carried out and Mr Wilczewski was arrested when he signed for and took possession of the package.

Sgt McCarthy said the defendant, who is married with three young children, had been working in a poultry farm up to the date of his arrest.

He said he had been out socialising the previous night and was “prevailed upon” to collect the package and was to be paid just €100.

Mark Nicholas SC said his client suspected the package contained contraband and “should have known better”.

He said he has been living in Ireland for some time and has a history of hard work and had not been on the garda radar prior to the offence.

“His role was to collect the package and hand it over a short time later,” he said urging the court to not his client’s cooperation and guilty plea.

Imposing sentence, Judge Tom O’Donnell noted the defendant is not involved in the drugs trade and had taken a day off work to make sure he would be able to collect the package.

“He sacrificed his job, his liberty and his family. I hope he has learned a very salutary lesson,” he said.

The judge noted that Mr Wilczewski is not a drug user and that he is remorseful over what happened.

He said the value of the drugs was an aggravating factor but accepted the defendant had played a minor role.

He imposed a three year prison sentence, suspending the final twelve months.