Ireland Man jailed for assisting Lithuanian cannabis growhouse gang in Louth
In June 2021 gardaí raided a cannabis cultivation system at Bryanstown, Drogheda, recovering 55 mature plants, and seized drugs worth almost €210,000 across two locations, including five kilos in a storage container in the Duleek area. Marius Brazauskas, a 38-year-old man, later pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation and to cultivating cannabis plants. The court heard the gang operates in Louth and Meath, and that Brazauskas had recently arrived in Ireland and rented the storage unit under a false name. At Dundalk Circuit Court, reported on 7 February 2025, he was sentenced; the article's opening line says four years, while the judge's ruling gives five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended, backdated to 29 October.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced7 Feb
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Gardaí recovered 55 mature cannabis plants from a raided cultivation system.
- Three kilos of cannabis were found in shopping bags in a bathroom.
- Drugs worth almost €210,000 were seized across the two locations.
- Where
- The cultivation system was at Bryanstown, Drogheda, in County Louth.
- Five kilos of cannabis were found in a storage container at a separate address in the Duleek area.
- When
- The raid took place on 4 June 2021.
- Charges
- Brazauskas pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation by having drugs for sale or supply between 1 January and 4 June 2021, and to cultivating cannabis plants.
- In court
- The sentencing took place at Dundalk Circuit Court and was reported on 7 February 2025.
- Sentence
- Sources disagree on the sentence: the article's opening line says four years, while the judge's ruling gives five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended.
- The concurrent sentence was backdated to 29 October to allow for time spent in custody.
- Other details
- The court heard the gang operates in Louth and Meath, cultivating cannabis.
- Brazauskas had recently arrived in Ireland and rented the storage unit under a false name, and told gardaí he had a sister with a disability and had come to Ireland to save money.
- The judge found his culpability was at the lower end of the scale and that he was not a controlling factor in the operation.
- Investigation
- The investigating garda confirmed Brazauskas had not come to garda attention before and had no trappings of wealth.
14 statements extracted from the articles
- whatGardaí recovered 55 mature cannabis plants. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatThree kilos of cannabis were found in shopping bags in a bathroom. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whatDrugs worth almost €210,000 were seized across the two locations. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereGardaí raided a cannabis cultivation system at Bryanstown, Drogheda. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whereFive kilos of cannabis were found in a storage container at a separate address in the Duleek area. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- whenThe raid took place on 4 June 2021. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- chargeBrazauskas pleaded guilty to facilitating a criminal organisation and cultivating cannabis plants. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- sentenceThe judge imposed concurrent sentences of five and a half years, with the final 18 months suspended. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to 29 October to allow for time spent in custody. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherThe court heard the gang operates in Louth and Meath, cultivating cannabis. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherBrazauskas had recently arrived in Ireland and rented the storage unit under a false name. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherBrazauskas told gardaí he had a sister with a disability and had come to Ireland to save money. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherThe investigating garda confirmed Brazauskas had not come to garda attention before and had no trappings of wealth. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
- otherThe judge found his culpability was at the lower end of the scale and that he was not a controlling factor in the operation. (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 7 Feb2025Jailed for assisting an orgnaised crime gang in Louth
Court report on the sentencing of Marius Brazauskas. The article reports a jail term of four years in its opening line but a sentence of five and a half years with the final 18 months suspended in the judge's ruling.
convicted, Marius Brazauskas, 38, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Marius Brazauskas