DUBLIN, Ireland — Two men arrested in connection with the seizure of €1.6 million worth of heroin in Dublin, allegedly tied to a transnational criminal organisation, have been remanded in custody following a court appearance.
Oliver Etienne, 44, a graphic designer from England residing in Barcelona, and Christian Munoz Sanchez, 34, also from Barcelona, were arrested on May 2 during an operation conducted by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB).
Both appeared before Judge Aine Clancy at Dublin District Court, where Etienne was denied bail after the judge ruled he was a flight risk. Sanchez has deferred his bail application and will rely on an EU directive that may allow him to sign on at a police station in his home country pending trial.
The men were charged with possession of heroin for sale or supply, an offence that can carry a life sentence. According to gardaí, 21 packages of heroin were recovered from a taxi allegedly linked to Sanchez. The arrests followed a Garda operation based on intelligence about a Spanish-linked criminal group trafficking drugs into Ireland.
Investigators allege that the suspects arrived in Dublin via ferry from Cherbourg on April 24. Both men stayed at the Clayton Hotel in Liffey Valley, where they shared a room and stored luggage — one of the bags later connected to the heroin seizure.
Detective Garda Tom McCarrick told the court that encrypted messages were found on Sanchez’s phone, while Etienne’s phone could not be accessed. Defence solicitors argued their clients had no prior convictions and disputed claims of being caught “red-handed.”
Etienne is due to appear in Cloverhill District Court on Wednesday, while Sanchez is scheduled for Friday.
