Ireland Case No. 0413Burglary, possession of controlled drugs · Co. Dublin
Man and woman charged over South Dublin burglaries
Three males wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer allegedly broke into an apartment at Blackhall Square, Dublin 7, where a Chinese male occupant was found with his hands tied with cable ties and 90 packages of cannabis worth €1.2 million were recovered from suitcases. Aaron Mulhall, 31, and Gary Hanley, 37, were charged with unlawful possession of drugs for sale or supply on 13 August 2026 after Mulhall was arrested in the apartment hall in possession of approximately €10,000, three mobile phones and a passport. Both men were remanded in custody at Dublin District Court, with Mulhall's bail set at €750 from himself and €10,000 from an independent surety. A man and a woman, both in their 40s, were also charged in connection with the burglaries and are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 August 2026.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court1 Aug
4 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Three males wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer allegedly broke into an apartment at Blackhall Square, Dublin 7, where a Chinese male occupant was found with his hands tied with cable ties.
- Ninety individual packages of cannabis worth €1.2 million were found in suitcases at the scene.
- Cause
- The apartment door was alleged to have been forced open.
- When
- Charges were brought on 13 August 2026.
- Weapon
- The males were reported to be armed with a hammer.
- Investigation
- Gardaí observed three males exiting the apartment, two with suitcases; Mulhall was arrested in the hall, another man was stopped a short distance away, and a third escaped.
- A hidden camera was found on top of one suitcase, having been fitted behind a fire safety sign the previous night.
- Mulhall was found in possession of approximately €10,000, three mobile phones, and a passport belonging to a named Chinese national.
- Charges
- Aaron Mulhall and Gary Hanley were charged with unlawful possession of drugs for sale or supply on 13 August 2026.
- A man and a woman, both in their 40s, were also charged in connection with the burglaries.
- In court
- Both men faced separate hearings at Dublin District Court; Hanley was remanded in custody and Mulhall was remanded pending lodgement of €750 and €10,000 from an independent surety.
- The man and woman are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice on 15 August 2026.
- Other details
- The apartment occupants, a male and a female, both Chinese nationals, fled the scene.
49 statements extracted from the articles
- whatTwo men have been charged over a €1.2 million cannabis seizure in Dublin after gardaí responded to reports of a burglary. (thejournal.ie)
- whatA man and a woman, both in their 40s, were arrested in connection with burglaries in South Dublin. (garda.ie)
- whatNinety individual packages of cannabis worth €1.2 million were found in suitcases. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThree males wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer broke into the apartment. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatA Chinese national was found with his hands tied with cable ties behind his back. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA hidden camera was found on top of one suitcase, having been fitted behind a fire safety sign the previous night. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatMulhall was found in possession of approximately €10,000, three mobile phones, and a passport belonging to a named Chinese national. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe apartment door had been forced open. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatGardaí observed three males exiting the apartment, two of them with suitcases. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatMulhall was arrested in the hall, another man was stopped a short distance away, and the third escaped. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe apartment occupants were a male and a female, both Chinese nationals, who had fled the scene. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe Chinese man was observed by a neighbour with his hands tied together with cable ties behind his back. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe cable-tied man was also seen on CCTV. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe suitcases contained 90 individual packages of cannabis. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe camera had been fitted behind a fire safety sign in the hallway outside the apartment the previous night. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatMulhall has eye-related health problems. (dublinlive.ie)
- whereThe alleged offences took place at an apartment at Blackhall Square, in Dublin 7. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe burglary took place at an apartment at Blackhall Square, Dublin 7. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whereAaron Mulhall is from Clay Farm Drive, Leopardstown Drive, Dublin 18. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGary Hanley is from North Great Clarence Street, Dublin 1. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe charges were brought on 13 August 2026. (dublinlive.ie)
- causeIt was alleged the apartment door had been forced open. (thejournal.ie)
- weaponThe males reported to gardaí were armed with a hammer. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí received reports of three males wearing balaclavas and armed with a hammer breaking into the apartment. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationMulhall was arrested in the hall of the apartment, another man was stopped a short distance away, and a third man escaped. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationA hidden camera was found on top of one of the suitcases. (thejournal.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- investigationMulhall was found allegedly in possession of about €10,000, three mobile phones and a passport. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing. (garda.ie)
- chargeAaron Mulhall and Gary Hanley were charged with unlawful possession of drugs for sale or supply on 13 August. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man and woman have been charged. (garda.ie)
- chargeTwo men were charged with unlawful possession of drugs for sale or supply on 13 August 2026. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeMulhall and Hanley were charged with unlawful possession of drugs for sale or supply. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtThe two men faced separate hearings at Dublin District Court. (thejournal.ie)
- courtHanley deferred his bail application and was remanded in custody to appear again on Thursday. (thejournal.ie)
- courtMulhall was remanded in custody pending lodgement of €750 from him and €10,000 from an independent surety. (thejournal.ie, irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtThey are due to appear before the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ 2) on 15 August 2026. (garda.ie)
- courtHanley made no reply when charged, deferred his bail application, and was remanded in custody. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtJudge Clancy set the independent surety at €25,000, of which €10,000 must be handed over in court. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtBail conditions include no contact with witnesses or co-accused, surrendering his passport, a curfew, and signing on daily at his local garda station. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- sentenceIf granted bail, Mulhall must obey a curfew at his address and sign on daily at his local garda station. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe occupants, a male and a female, both Chinese nationals, had also fled the scene. (thejournal.ie)
- otherA Chinese man was seen by a neighbour with his hands tied behind his back with cable ties moments before gardaí arrived. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThree suitcases were found to contain 90 individual packages of cannabis. (thejournal.ie)
- otherMulhall's defence said he did not have the suitcase and was unaware of its contents. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe occupants of the apartment were a male and a female, both Chinese nationals, who fled the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMulhall is a father of one and unemployed. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- otherMulhall maintains he did not have the suitcase and was unaware of its contents. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe detective conceded there was no evidence of Mulhall installing the camera the night beforehand. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMulhall had eye-related health problems. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 15 Aug2026Two charged over €1.2m cannabis haul after burglary involving cable-tied victim
Details of the burglary including the cable-tied Chinese male occupant, the hidden camera, the 90 packages of cannabis, and bail conditions set by Judge Áine Clancy at Dublin District Court for both accused.
accused, Aaron Mulhall, 31, male, named, irish (judged from name)Aaron Mulhallaccused, Gary Hanley, 37, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gary Hanleyvictim, male, Chinese, non-irishvictim, female, Chinese, non-irish - 15 Aug2026Pair charged over €1.2m cannabis haul after burglary involving cable-tied victim
Details of the burglary including the cable-tied Chinese victim, the hidden camera, the 90 packages of cannabis in suitcases, the items found on Mulhall, and the bail conditions imposed by Judge Clancy.
suspect, Aaron Mulhall, 31, male, named, irish (judged from name)Aaron Mulhallsuspect, Gary Hanley, 37, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gary Hanleyvictim, male, Chinese, non-irishvictim, female, Chinese, non-irish - 15 Aug202615/08/2026 Update (1) Court Appearance: Operation Thor - Man and Woman Arrested in Connection with Burglaries in South Dublin, 14th August 2026
Confirms the man and woman have been charged and are appearing before the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ 2) on 15 August 2026.
suspect, 40s, malesuspect, 40s, female - 1 Aug2026Two men charged over €1.2m cannabis seizure after Dublin burglary
Reports the charges against Aaron Mulhall and Gary Hanley, who were charged on 13 August, and their first court hearings at Dublin District Court. Adds the seizure details, the alleged burglary and bail conditions.
accused, Aaron Mulhall, 31, male, named, irish (judged from name)Aaron Mulhallaccused, Gary Hanley, 37, male, named, irish (judged from name)Gary Hanleyvictim, male, Chinese, non-irishvictim, female, Chinese, non-irish