Tony Abbey, 51, was charged after 150kg of cannabis was seized from a truck at Rosslare Europort.
A Carlow man has been granted bail after appearing in court in connection with a €3m drugs seizure at Rosslare Europort.
Tony Abbey, 51, of Coolkenno, Tullow, County Carlow, faced Judge Mirian Walsh at a special sitting of Wexford District Court. He is charged with two offences — possession of cannabis, and possession of cannabis for the purpose of sale or supply — arising from a bust on Saturday, 22 August.
Revenue officers discovered around 150kg of suspected herbal cannabis during a search of a truck that had arrived in Rosslare from Bilbao, Spain. The find followed routine profiling checks carried out by Customs officials at the Europort.
The large-scale haul was confirmed to have an estimated street value of €3m.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen Abbey first appeared at Gorey District Court, Judge Walsh granted bail subject to strict conditions. At his most recent appearance before Wexford District Court, Sergeant Stephen Ennis told the court that investigations were ongoing. He confirmed the Book of Evidence was still being prepared and added that further charges could not be ruled out.
Abbey’s defence solicitor, Chris Hogan, said his client had already taken up bail when it was granted at Carlow District Court earlier in the week, and had fully complied with the conditions imposed.
Judge Walsh confirmed bail on an independent surety of €40,000 and a personal bond of €20,000, with evidence of available funds already supplied to the court.
Strict conditions were also imposed. Abbey must sign on twice daily at Tullow Garda Station, observe a nightly curfew between 11pm and 7am, provide a working mobile phone number to Gardaí, and refrain from applying for travel documents.
The accused was remanded on bail and is due to appear before Wexford District Court again on 9 December for the service of the Book of Evidence.
The seizure is one of the largest in recent months at Rosslare Europort, a key entry point for freight from continental Europe. Routine profiling by Revenue and Customs officers continues to play a central role in intercepting drugs shipments attempting to enter Ireland.
While Abbey faces charges linked to the cannabis seizure, Gardaí are understood to still be investigating whether others were involved in the transport or intended distribution of the drugs. Prosecutors did not rule out the possibility of additional charges.
The bust highlights the scale of trafficking routes through Ireland’s ferry ports, where Revenue officers regularly monitor incoming vehicles using profiling techniques, intelligence sharing, and targeted inspections. The discovery of €3m worth of cannabis once again demonstrates the significant quantities being smuggled in via freight transport.
As Abbey awaits his next court date, the conditions of his bail ensure strict supervision. Twice-daily reporting, curfew, and restrictions on movement aim to prevent any interference with the ongoing investigation.
The case remains under active investigation and will return before the courts in December.