Heroin dealers replaced as quickly as they are caught

Two Lithuanian heroin dealers, who received prison sentences within a week of each other for selling the drug on the streets of Galway city, were replaced by criminals as quickly as they were caught, a court has heard.

Mantas Gediminas (28), of no fixed abode, was only in this country two days when he was stopped and searched by Garda Noel McNulty at the Prom in Salthill on September 15 last.

He put small bags of heroin in his mouth and began to chew them when Gardai McNulty approached him.

He refused to spit the drugs out and instead swallowed them, Galway District Court was told last week.

He pleaded guilty to obstructing Garda McNulty.

Defence solicitor, Brian Gilmartin said at the time that his client had only been in the country for two days when this incident occurred.

“He’s not the first to come before the court and he won’t be the last. He was given a phone and he was given heroin and told to sell it here in Galway,” Mr Gilmartin said.

Judge Mary Fahy agreed and said someone was paying for these people’s fares and they were being promised a better life here.

“They are totally expendable because when they’re arrested, they are replaced almost immediately by somebody else.  It’s a trade and it’s appalling.

“They are obviously mixing with criminals in their own country and they are given the fare to come here.

“Heroin is causing a lot of devastation. He will be replaced and the court has to send out a message that they are going to get prison sentences,” the judge said before sentencing Gediminas to five months in prison for obstructing Garda McNulty, backdated to when he went into custody on September 16.

This week, another Lithuanian, Tomas Jakubauskis (20), appeared in custody before the court and pleaded guilty to dealing heroin and to obstructing Gardai at Castlegar at 11.50am on October 11 last.

He spat out 14 small bags of heroin when Garda Lena Walsh went to search him.

He was arrested and taken to Galway Garda Station where he was found in possession of €500 cash, a small weighing scales and three mobile phones.

Each of the 14 bags of heroin had a street value of €25.

Sergeant Paul Duane, prosecuting, said the accused had five previous convictions for drug possession and drug dealing offences in Waterford and had been given suspended sentences last year for those.

Mr Gilmartin said this man has been in the country for two years.  He confirmed his client had no addictions.

Judge Fahy sentenced him to nine months in prison for the drug dealing charge and imposed a consecutive five-month sentence on him for obstructing Gardai, which she suspended for two years on condition he be of good behaviour and stay away from Galway city and county for the next two years.