Man charged with €1.6m cannabis stash at Little Island storage unit
On 6 July 2026, approximately 83.5kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €1,670,000 were seized at a storage unit in the Little Island Industrial Estate, Co Cork, during a controlled delivery operation. Han Xiaochen, a 30-year-old Chinese national resident in Birmingham, England, was arrested at the scene by Gardaí from the GNDOCB and Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit as part of a joint operation with Revenue Customs Service. He was charged with possession of cannabis and possession for the purpose of sale or supply, and made no reply to the charges at Cork District Court. The judge declined jurisdiction at District Court level due to the value of the seizure, and Xiaochen was remanded in custody to appear by video-link on 14 July 2026.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested6 Jul
2 reports - Charged7 Jul
- In court
- Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Approximately 83.5kgs of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of €1,670,000 were seized.
- Where
- The seizure took place at a storage unit in the Euro Business Park, Little Island Industrial Estate, Co Cork.
- When
- The operation and alleged offences took place on Monday, 6 July 2026.
- Investigation
- The seizure was part of an intelligence-led joint operation involving the GNDOCB, Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit, and Revenue Customs Service, and the drugs were sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis.
- Han Xiaochen, a 30-year-old Chinese national resident in Birmingham, England, was arrested at the scene following a controlled delivery and detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996.
- Charges
- Xiaochen was charged with possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply.
- In court
- At Cork District Court the judge declined jurisdiction at District Court level due to the value of the seizure, and Xiaochen was remanded in custody to appear by video-link on 14 July 2026.
- Other details
- Xiaochen made no reply when the charges were put to him following a caution, and was assisted by a Mandarin interpreter in court.
- Gardaí believe the drugs were destined for distribution in the local Cork market.
32 statements extracted from the articles
- whatApproximately 83.5kgs of herbal cannabis were seized (garda.ie)
- whatThe cannabis had an estimated value of €1,670,000 (garda.ie)
- whatA man in his 30s was arrested (garda.ie)
- whatA man in his 30s was arrested for questioning (irishtimes.com)
- whatAlmost €1.7 million worth of drugs were seized in Co Cork (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe man is a Chinese national resident in Birmingham in England (irishtimes.com)
- whatA controlled delivery of 83.5kg of herbal cannabis was made on Monday (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe drugs have an estimated street value of €1.67 million (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe cannabis had an estimated street value of €1.6 million. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe man was detained in a Garda Station in Co Cork (garda.ie)
- whereThe man was arrested at a storage unit in the Little Island Industrial Estate outside Cork city (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe man was conveyed to Mayfield Garda Station for questioning (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe offences occurred at a unit in the Euro Business Park, Little Island, Co Cork. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe operation took place on 6 July 2026 (garda.ie)
- whenThe alleged offences occurred on Monday, 6 July 2026. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe seizure was part of an intelligence-led operation involving the GNDOCB, Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit, and Revenue Customs Service (garda.ie)
- investigationThe drugs were seized by Revenue Customs Officers (garda.ie, irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe seized drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis (garda.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí from the GNDOCB and Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit arrested the man at the scene (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe man is detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe drugs have been sent to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe operation was a joint one involving garda units and Revenue Customs Service (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA sample of the seized drugs will be analysed by Forensic Science Ireland. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe man was detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 (garda.ie)
- courtSgt David Fleming made an application for remand in custody citing a Garda objection to bail. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe judge declined to accept jurisdiction at District Court level due to the value of the seizure. (irishtimes.com)
- courtXiaochen was remanded in custody to appear by video-link on 14 July. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe man is expected to be charged later that day (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí believe the drugs were destined for distribution in the local Cork market (irishtimes.com)
- otherXiaochen made no reply when the charges were put to him following a caution. (irishtimes.com)
- otherXiaochen was assisted by a Mandarin interpreter in court. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 7 Jul2026Man charged with having €1.6m of cannabis at storage unit
Reports the initial court appearance and remand of Han Xiaochen, who was charged over a €1.6m cannabis seizure at a storage unit in Little Island, Co Cork. The judge declined jurisdiction at District Court level due to the value of the seizure.
accused, Han Xiaochen, 30, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Han Xiaochen - 7 Jul2026Man arrested following €1.67m drug seizure in Cork
Adds details on the arrest: 83.5kg of herbal cannabis, Chinese national resident in Birmingham, arrested at Little Island Industrial Estate, conveyed to Mayfield Garda Station, detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, drugs sent to FSI for analysis, believed destined for local Cork market, joint operation with Revenue Customs Service.
suspect, 30s, male, Chinese, non-irish - 6 Jul202606/07/2026 Joint Operation- Gardaí and Revenue Customs Service Seizes €1.6 Million Cannabis, Co. Cork- 6th July 2026
Official garda.ie press release confirming the seizure details: 83.5kgs of herbal cannabis valued at €1,670,000, seized by Revenue Customs Officers as part of a joint GNDOCB, Cork City Divisional Drugs Unit and Revenue operation. The suspect is detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 and the drugs are to be sent to FSI for analysis.
suspect, 30s, male