Caught with drugs, cigs and crime cash

A Lithuanian national who hadn't worked in almost six years but was found in possession of €42,670 and £8,360 in cash, as well as nearly 50,000 cigarettes and over €25,000 worth of cannabis, has been jailed for four years.

When Saulius Pakuckas (46) came upon a garda checkpoint outside Arvagh shortly before midday on January 25, 2022, the Audi in which he was travelling reversed at speed and took off before crashing at Drumnawall.

Pakuckas was one of two men who fled the stricken vehicle and made off across the fields. It wasn't until hours later, and following a major manhunt in the area, that the defendant was discovered hiding in a drain.

Even with the jig up, and gardaí all around, Pakuckas attempted to make a break for it and had to pepper-sprayed.

Eventually conveyed to Cavan Garda Station, Pakuckas made a third attempt at escape, climbing through a window in the interview room during a roster switch over.

The dramatic details of Pakuckas' capture were relayed to Judge John Aylmer before his charges were read out at a recent sitting of Cavan Circuit Court.

Pakuckas, of 26 Ard Cluan, Roslea Road, Clones, pleaded guilty to the sale and supply of cannabis; defrauding Revenue of excise on nearly 47,140 cigarettes; as well as laundering tens of thousands in cash, the proceeds of crime, at Carhanagh, Arvagh, when arraigned in February of this year.

Pakuckas was represented in court by Breffni Gordon, instructed by solicitor Martin Cosgrove.

The plea was entered with the case to be heard on a “full facts” basis.

At the February sitting a request was made for a probation and welfare report, citing that Pakuckas had been living in Ireland for a number of years during which time he had shown a “positive work ethic”.

Sergeant Michelle Gethins gave evidence, explaining how fellow Sergeant William Ward had established a checkpoint in the townland of Tycusker, when a car approached on the Arva to Carrigallen Road, stopped, and took off at “high speed” back in the direction of Arvagh.

After Pakuckas' arrest, found “wet and dirty” having concealed himself in a ditch, Sgt Ward offered to get the defendant a change of clothes. When he arrived at the property, the garda detected a “strong smell of cannabis”.

He later spoke with Garda Keith Maguire who, that same day, obtained a search warrant for the defendant's home. The warrant was executed at 4:52pm, when gardaí found a “large quantity” of cigarettes packed in sleeves, cash totalling €42,670 and £8,360 in an upstairs bedroom wrapped in black PVC tape, and two large bags of cultivated cannabis hidden under rubbish “as if concealed”.

There were also eight “full plants” found, and more cannabis separated into “deals” and “wrapped in cellophane”.

The court was told the value of the cannabis came to €25,200 in total, with the eight plants found worth €800 each, and the cut herb, weighing in at 940 grams, coming in at €18,800.

The cash was divided into bundles. One batch contained €1,100, one for €3,600, and another at €270. There was one bundle of €7,700 and three more packs of €10,000 each.

The sterling cash was divided into two bundles of £7,300 and £1,060.

At Cavan Garda Station, during a “change over of units” Pakuckas spotted an opportunity to climb out the interview room window and scale the fence. He did injure himself, and was taken to Cavan General Hospital where he remained for several nights before being detained once again.

In his first interview Pakuckas admitted that the cannabis plants were his, but he denied selling the drugs, stating only that it was for his “own consumption” and a friend.

In the second interview it was put to Pakuckas that the cut cannabis had been separated into deal bags of equal weight, at around 28 or 29 grams each. He was asked if he knew that “9s” were the most popular street weight, was shown a sample on scales, yet “still denied selling”.

Pakuckas also admitted ownership of the cigarettes, and claimed that the money belonged to his girlfriend.

He eventually accepted the money belonged to him, and regarding how it was wrapped, replied: “There is a lot of mould in the houses.”

Sgt Gethins told the court that Pakuckas “had not worked in six years”, living instead off money earned from selling cars.

He had two prior convictions in this jurisdiction, the last in 2011 for theft for which he received 100 hours community service in lieu of three months' imprisonment.

Sgt Gethins said she was “not aware” of previous convictions in other jurisdictions.

An exhibit chart was presented to the court, which outlined that, among other items, a packet of seeds were found under Pakuckas' bed.

Cannabis was found in a bag in the wardrobe and in the shed, along with other growing paraphernalia. Pakuckas said he had bought the equipment from a man he met in Navan a few months before. “I smoke weed, a few smokes, I wanted to grow a few plants.”

Customs Officer Sinead Duffy gave evidence in relation to the cigarettes, which were handed over to her by Det Gda Cathal Mugan. The cigarettes, she noted, were “not of Irish origin” and had been manufactured outside the State. When she met Pakuckas for interview, he told her that he had handed over ownership of a car and “maybe €6,000 or €7,000 total”.

Pakuckas said he gives the cigarettes to friends “for gifts” but denied “selling” them.

The duty applicable on the cigarettes was €21,189.43 and the VAT amounted to €6,599.60. Open to the court by way of penalty was a fine, three times the combined figure.

Mr Gordon, for Pakuckas, said when his client first arrived in Ireland he lived in Monaghan and worked in mushroom houses.

He described a probation and welfare report as “positive”.

The barrister said that Pakuckas admitted that he sold the cigarettes “for profit”, that the defendant was “drug free now”, and that alcohol is not a problem in his client's life.

“He accepts responsibility,” continued Mr Gordon.

Judge Aylmer placed the sale and supply and money laundering offences in the “mid range” meriting six years on each charge before mitigation, while he put the evasion of excise on the cigarettes “on the lower end of the scale”, requiring a starting point of two years.

The judge said Pakuckas had not been co-operative with gardaí, appearing evasive in his denials, and even attempting to escape custody on more than one occasion. With mitigation taken into account, he ordered that Pakuckas serve four years each on the charges of sale and supply and money laundering, and 16 months on the other.

All sentences are to be served concurrently.

The cash was forfeited to the State, and a destruction order was made for the drugs and cigarettes.

A nolle prosequi was entered on all remaining counts on the indictment, and Pakuckas was given credit for any time served already.

As he was led away in cuffs, Pakuckas attempted to reach out to his partner who wept at the rear of the courtroom.