Mother and daughter charged over Christmas drugs seizure at Shannon Airport to seek bail

A mother and daughter who are accused of possessing €1.28m worth of cannabis at Shannon Airport two days before Christmas are to seek bail in the High Court, a court has heard.

At a special New Year’s Eve sitting of Ennis District Court, Dovil Reifonaite, aged 40, and Migle Kurieniute, aged 20, both with an address at Newlands, Mullingar, County Westmeath, appeared via video link from Limerick Prison.

The two first appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Christmas Eve and spent their Christmas in prison after Judge Alec Gabbett refused bail following garda objections.

Each accused is charged with one count of possession of cannabis for sale or supply, as well as one count of possession of cannabis.

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During this Tuesday's court hearing, solicitor John Casey said: “I am just waiting for the Christmas break to end for the High Court offices to re-open to bring an application for bail to the High Court."

Sgt John Burke told the court that a small sample of the suspected drugs was brought to Forensic Science Ireland (FSI) and the tests confirmed that the substance is cannabis.

Judge Gabbett asked if the defendants need to be produced (in person) in court on January 8 for additional charges and Sgt Burke replied ‘no’.

Judge Gabbett then asked: “Do we want to order a Lithuanian interpreter for the next court date?"

Mr Casey said that Migle Kurieniute has very good English and her mother, Dovil Reifonaite "not so much" adding: “I believe that we are grand for the moment.”

Ms Kurieniute confirmed to the court that she was happy to explain things to her mother.

During a bail hearing during the Christmas Eve court sitting, gardaí said it will be alleged that, at 11:16am on December 23 last, the two accused disembarked from a flight at Shannon Airport from Boston.

Gardaí alleged that officers attached to Revenue discovered 64kgs vacuum-packed packages of cannabis with a street value of €1.28 million, in four suitcases belonging to the two accused. It was a “significant quantity” of drugs, gardaí added.

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Mr Casey told the Christmas Eve court sitting that Ms Reifonaite and Ms Kurieniute had lived in Mullingar for the past eight years and that they would abide by any bail conditions.

“Ms Kurieniute has been here since she was 12. They have set up home here, and if granted bail they will sign on daily or even twice daily at a garda station, this is where their life is,” said Mr Casey. 

Following the court hearing on New Year's Eve, Judge Gabbett further remanded the two in custody to appear, via video-link, at Ennis District Court on January 8.

Investigations are ongoing.