A Ballybofey man who has been charged over a €2.2 million drugs seizure has been permitted to leave the country for a holiday.
Bail conditions for Michael McGinty, who is co-accused with his brother Patrick over the massive seizure of cannabis in April, have been temporarily further relaxed.
His solicitor, Mr Rory O’Brien, told Letterkenny District Court that his client, a 31-year-old, wished to renew and utilise a passport for a “brief trip to Poland”.
Sergeant Jim Collins said there was no objection from the State. However, he stressed that McGinty would have to return the passport to Gardai upon his return.
Mr O’Brien said his client is signing on at a Garda station, as per a condition of his bail.
Judge Éiteáin Cunningham granted the request and said that McGinty would have to return the passport by September 15.
Last month, conditions were eased to allow the brothers, each of Carrickmagrath, Ballybofey, to travel into Northern Ireland.
Each of the men were previously charged with being in possession of a controlled drug, namely cannabis, for the purpose of selling or otherwise supplying it to another, contrary to section 15 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977 and section 27 (3) of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1977 as substituted by section 6 of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1984.
The two men are also charged with being in possession of cannabis.
The siblings were arrested following a swoop on a premises in the Ballybofey area in April by officers from the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Donegal Divisional Drugs Unit and Revenue’s Custom Service.
Revenue officers seized approximately 112kgs of herbal cannabis, with an estimated value of €2.2 million, in the operation.
Having been held for questioning at Letterkenny Garda Station, the men were charged by detectives and subsequently were ordered to surrender their passports.