Haulier granted bail over €3m cannabis seizure at Rosslare Europort
On Saturday 23 August 2025, Revenue Officers seized approximately 150.6 kg of suspected herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €3,012,000 from a truck that had disembarked a ferry from Bilbao, northern Spain, at Rosslare Europort, Co. Wexford, following routine profiling by customs officers. Tony Abbey, a 51-year-old man from Tullow, Co. Carlow, who was an international haulier, was arrested and detained under the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996. He was charged with possession of cannabis and possession for sale or supply, and appeared before Judge Miriam Walsh at Gorey District Court on Monday 25 August 2025, where he made no reply to the charges. Judge Walsh granted him bail on an independent surety of €40,000 and a personal surety of €20,000, with conditions including a curfew, twice-daily sign-on at Tullow Garda station, and a ban on applying for travel documents, while investigations remain ongoing.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested23 Aug
- Chargednot reported
- In court23 Aug
2 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Approximately 150.6 kg of suspected herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €3,012,000 was seized from a truck.
- Where
- The seizure took place at Rosslare Europort, Co. Wexford, from a truck that had disembarked a ferry from Bilbao, northern Spain.
- When
- The seizure and arrest took place on Saturday 23 August 2025, and the court appearance was on Monday 25 August 2025.
- Investigation
- The search was the result of routine profiling by customs officers, and the man was arrested and detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at Wexford Garda station.
- Investigations were ongoing internationally and in Ireland.
- Charges
- Tony Abbey, a 51-year-old man from Tullow, Co. Carlow, was charged with possession of cannabis and possession for sale or supply.
- In court
- He appeared before Judge Miriam Walsh at Gorey District Court on 25 August 2025, where Det Garda Stephen Burke objected to bail citing flight risk, but bail was granted on an independent surety of €40,000 and a personal surety of €20,000.
- Bail conditions included signing on twice daily at Tullow Garda station, a curfew from 11pm to 7am, and a ban on applying for travel documents.
- Other details
- The accused was an international haulier with nearly 25 years in the business, who had left Ireland with a load of fish and was returning from Spain to collect another load.
31 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe man is in his 50s (garda.ie)
- whatDrugs worth over €3 million were seized by Revenue Officers at Rosslare Europort, Co. Wexford (garda.ie)
- whatApproximately 150.6 kgs of suspected herbal cannabis with an estimated value of €3,012,000 was seized (garda.ie)
- whatThe cannabis was seized following a search of a truck that had disembarked from a ferry (garda.ie)
- what150.6 kg of suspected herbal cannabis was seized (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe cannabis had an estimated street value of €3,012,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe truck had disembarked a ferry from Bilbao, northern Spain (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe drugs were found at Rosslare Europort, Co Wexford (irishtimes.com)
- whereTony Abbey is from Tullow, Co Carlow (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe court appearance is on 25 August 2025 at 1:00pm (garda.ie)
- whenThe seizure and arrest took place on Saturday 23 August 2025 (garda.ie)
- investigationThe man was arrested in connection with the investigation (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationThe man was detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 at a Garda Station in Co. Wexford (garda.ie)
- investigationThe search was the result of routine profiling by customs officers (irishtimes.com)
- investigationHe was arrested and held at Wexford Garda station under the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationInvestigations were ongoing internationally and in Ireland (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe man has been charged (garda.ie)
- chargeHe was charged with possession of cannabis and possessing the drug for sale or supply (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe is due to appear before a special sitting of Gorey District Court (garda.ie)
- courtHe appeared before Judge Miriam Walsh at Gorey District Court on Monday (irishtimes.com)
- courtDet Garda Stephen Burke charged the accused after caution at the Garda station at 4pm on Saturday (irishtimes.com)
- courtMr Abbey made no reply after each charge was put to him (irishtimes.com)
- courtDet Garda Burke objected to bail, deeming the accused a flight risk (irishtimes.com)
- courtJudge Walsh granted bail on an independent surety of €40,000 and a surety of €20,000 from the accused (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was ordered to sign on twice a day at Tullow Garda station (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was ordered to observe a curfew from 11pm to 7am (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was ordered not to apply for any travel documents (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe accused was an international haulier who travelled between Ireland and Europe (irishtimes.com)
- otherMr Abbey had left Ireland with a load of fish and was on the way back from Spain to collect another load (irishtimes.com)
- otherMr Abbey said he had been nearly 25 years operating in the haulage business (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 25 Aug2025Haulier appears in court over €3m drugs seizure at Rosslare Europort
Details the court appearance, the circumstances of the seizure from a truck arriving from Bilbao, the bail conditions imposed, and the defence's submission that the accused cooperated fully with customs.
accused, Tony Abbey, 51, male, named, irish (judged from name)Tony Abbey - 23 Aug2025Gardaí Arrest Man Following €3m Drugs Seizure at Rosslare Europort, 23rd August 2025
Initial Garda press release reporting the arrest and detention under Section 2, preceding the court appearance and bail grant reported in the existing case.
suspect, 50s, male - 23 Aug2025Update: Court Appearance – Gardaí Arrest Man Following €3m Drugs Seizure at Rosslare Europort, 23rd August 2025
Garda press release confirming the man has been charged and is due to appear before a special sitting of Gorey District Court on 25 August 2025 at 1:00pm. Investigations are ongoing.
suspect, 50s, male