Rihards Maceks remanded over €840,000 cocaine seizure on M8 at Glanmire, Cork
Rihards Maceks, 31, a Latvian national, was remanded in custody at Cork District Court on 21 December 2024 after being charged with possession and possession for sale or supply of 12kg of cocaine worth €840,000, found hidden in a secret compartment in his car on the M8 in Glanmire, Co Cork, on 18 December 2024.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested18 Dec
3 reports - Charged21 Dec
- In court18 Dec
2 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports62 statements extracted from the articles
- what12kg of suspected cocaine was discovered in the vehicle (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe cocaine had an estimated street value of approximately €840,000 (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe driver was a male in his 30s (garda.ie)
- whatThe driver was arrested at the scene (garda.ie)
- what€840,000 worth of cocaine was seized. (garda.ie)
- whatA 31-year-old man was arrested after Gardaí discovered more than €800,000 worth of drugs (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe drugs found were cocaine worth an estimated €840,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whatA Polish national with an address in Co Tipperary was arrested (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe driver, a male in his 30s, was arrested at the scene (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe drugs seized were 12kg of cocaine with an estimated value of €840,000. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe cocaine had an estimated street value of €840,000 (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe car was stopped on the M8 motorway at Glanmire, travelling southbound (garda.ie)
- whereThe cocaine was seized on the M8 at Glanmire, Cork. (garda.ie)
- whereThe search was carried out close to the Watergrasshill toll plaza on the M8 heading towards Cork (irishtimes.com)
- whereHe was taken to Gurranebraher Garda station in Cork city to be questioned (irishtimes.com)
- whereGardaí stopped a car travelling southbound on the M8 motorway at Glanmire (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe car was stopped on the M8 motorway in Glanmire, Co Cork. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe car was stopped on the M8 in Glanmire, Co Cork (irishmirror.ie)
- whereHe has an address at Charles Kickham House, Main St, Tipperary town (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe car was stopped on Wednesday evening, 18 December 2024 (garda.ie)
- whenThe cocaine was seized on 18 December 2024. (garda.ie)
- whenThe search was carried out at around 7.30pm on Wednesday (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe seizure took place on 18 December 2024 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe stop was part of an intelligence-led national operation (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe man was detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 (garda.ie)
- investigationThe drugs seized will be forwarded to Forensic Science Ireland for analysis (garda.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe man remains in Garda custody (garda.ie)
- investigationHe is being held under drug trafficking legislation allowing detention for up to seven days before charge or release (irishtimes.com)
- investigationHe was detained at a Garda station in Cork city under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationDet Garda Rory Fogarty of the Cork City Divisional Drugs Squad gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationDetective Garda Rory Fogarty gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationSgt John Kelleher said gardai were objecting to bail (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe man in his 30s has been charged. (garda.ie)
- chargeMaceks was charged with two offences: possession of the drugs and possession for sale or supply. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeHe was charged with possession and possession for sale or supply of the drugs (irishmirror.ie)
- courtHe is due to appear before Cork District Court on 20 December 2024. (garda.ie)
- courtJudge Mary Dorgan refused bail after hearing the evidence. (irishtimes.com)
- courtMaceks was remanded in custody to appear again at Cork District Court on 27 December. (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe appeared before Cork District Court (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Mary Dorgan presided over the hearing (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Dorgan declined to grant bail and remanded him in custody (irishmirror.ie)
- courtHe was ordered to appear again at Cork District Court on 27 December (irishmirror.ie)
- sentencePossession of €840,000 worth of drugs can carry a sentence of 10 years. (irishtimes.com)
- otherDetectives believe the drugs were destined for the Cork market in the run-up to Christmas (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks's address was Flat 1, Charles Kickham House, Main Street, Tipperary town. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks made no reply to either charge after caution. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí believed Maceks should not be granted bail because of the seriousness of the charge. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks was the sole occupant of the vehicle in which the cocaine was discovered. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí objected to bail on the grounds that Maceks was a flight risk with no fixed address. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks could not surrender his passport or identity card as they had expired. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks's ex-partner confirmed he could reside at her flat if granted bail. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMaceks was granted free legal aid after it was heard he had been unemployed for three years. (irishtimes.com)
- otherGardaí believed the cocaine was destined for the Christmas market. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe cocaine was due to be sold on the Christmas market (irishmirror.ie)
- otherRihards Maceks is a Latvian national (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe made no reply when the charges were put to him under caution (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe cocaine was hidden in a secret compartment between the boot and the rear seats (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe was the only person in the car (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe was effectively caught red-handed when gardaí stopped his vehicle (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe offered to sign on at his local Garda station in Tipperary town twice daily (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHis former partner indicated he could live at her flat if granted bail (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 21 Dec2024Man charged followed seizure of €840,000 worth of cocaine for Christmas market
Court appearance details: bail refused by Judge Mary Dorgan, remanded in custody to reappear 27 December. Cocace was hidden in a secret compartment between the boot and rear seats; the accused was the only person in the car and the drugs were destined for the Christmas market.
suspect, Rihards Maceks, 31, male, Latvian, named, non-irishRihards Maceks - 20 Dec2024Man refused bail after being charged in connection with €840,000 drug seizure in Co Cork
Provides full details of the bail hearing: Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail citing the seriousness of the charge (10-year sentence), strength of evidence, and flight risk (no fixed address, expired passport). Maceks was remanded to appear again on 27 December 2024 and granted free legal aid after it emerged he had been unemployed for three years.
suspect, Rihards Maceks, 31, male, Latvian, named, non-irishRihards Maceks - 19 Dec2024Gardai arrest man after seizure of 12 kilos of cocaine stashed in vehicle
Initial arrest report confirming the seizure of 12kg of cocaine (estimated €840,000) from a vehicle stopped on the M8 at Glanmire on Wednesday evening 18 December 2024; the driver was detained under the Drug Trafficking Act and the drugs were sent to FSI for analysis.
suspect, 30s, male - 18 Dec2024Man arrested after cocaine valued at €800,000 found in car on main Cork-Dublin road
Initial arrest report identifying the suspect as a 31-year-old Polish national with an address in Co Tipperary; search carried out at around 7.30pm near Watergrasshill toll plaza on the M8 heading towards Cork; detectives believe the drugs were destined for the Cork market in the run-up to Christmas.
suspect, 31, male, Polish, non-irish - 18 Dec2024Court Appearance- Man Arrested and €840,000 Cocaine Seized, M8 at Glanmire, Cork, 18th December 2024
Confirms the man in his 30s has been charged and is due to appear before Cork District Court on 20 December 2024.
suspect, 30s, male - 18 Dec2024Man Arrested and €840,000 Cocaine Seized, M8 at Glanmire, Cork, 18th December 2024
Initial Garda press release reporting the arrest and seizure; case 2656 covers the subsequent court appearance and charging of Rihards Maceks.
suspect, 30s, male