Case No. 1305Possession of drugs for sale or supply, money laundering · Co. Dublin · 19 Jul 2024
Andrew Pender jailed for 15 years for running €10 million Dublin drugs operation
Andrew Pender, 52, of Tallaght, Dublin, was sentenced to 15 years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for managing a sophisticated drugs distribution network after €8.968 million in drugs and €1.149 million in cash were seized from him, a modified van, and a rented shipping container in July 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced16 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports20 statements extracted from the articles
- whatHe was caught with €8.968 million of drugs and €1.149 million of cash. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe cocaine was valued at almost €4.47 million. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe ketamine was valued at just over €2.5 million. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe cannabis was worth €1.29 million. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA Peugeot and a Mercedes Luton van with hidden compartments were used to store drugs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe van's hidden compartment was behind a hydraulic device and required an expert to access. (irishmirror.ie)
- what16 blocks of cash and two kilogrammes of cocaine were found in the van's compartment. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe Peugeot had a false floor fitted to hide a compartment under the seats. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA stolen garda uniform and a stab vest were discovered in the container. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPender was renting the container for €200 per month. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPender had asked two separate people to register the two vehicles in their own names. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatPender registered a company in his name in November 2021 at his home address but did not operate it as a business. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe drugs and cash were found at The Ward, Co Meath, on 19 July 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereA rented shipping container in rural Meath was searched and the rest of the drugs were found there. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentencePender was sentenced to 15 years in prison. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe headline sentence was 20 years, reduced to 15 years after mitigation. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPender had three previous convictions for minor road traffic offences. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPender has a long-standing addiction to cocaine with medical consequences. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPender suffers from COPD, heart problems, and recently had surgery on his nose. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherPender is a father of four. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 16 Jul2025Gang boss jailed after gardai smash €10million drugs operation he led in Dublin
Details the 15-year sentence, the full scope of the DCRT operation, the types and values of drugs seized, the modified vehicles and shipping container used, Pender's role as manager of the drug distribution cell, and his affiliation with a Cabra-based gang.
convicted, Andrew Pender, 52, male, named, irish (judged from name)Andrew Pender