Prosecution opens trial for pilot accused of flying cocaine worth €8m into midlands airport
The jury trial of a man accused of flying over €8m worth of cocaine into a County Longford airport three years ago has begun at Mullingar Circuit Court.
Michal Luczak (44), formerly of Primrose Avenue, Jigginstown, Naas, County Kildare, now with an address at The Davitt, Dublin 12, appeared before Judge Roderick Maguire and a jury of 12 today.
He is facing four charges, including the possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply, possession of cocaine valued at €13,000 or more for the purpose of sale or supply, and the importation from another country of drugs to the value of €13,000 or more.
In Mr Luczak’s case, the charges relate to the alleged transportation of 120kg of cocaine, valued at €8.4m from northern France into Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, County Longford, on August 4, 2022.
Opening the trial and summarising the evidence for the jury this morning, Cathal O’Braonáin, BL, prosecuting, said that it would be the prosecution case that Mr Luczak, accompanied by another man, flew to Northern France, and transported the drugs back to Ireland via Abbeyshrule.
The state will give evidence of Mr Luczak departing from Abbeyshrule Aerodrome, a type two customs airport for passengers and baggage only, on August 3, 2022, and flying to Le Touquet airport in northern France, which is an airport with customs.
The two men stayed overnight in a hotel before flying to Dieppe, a smaller airport “more akin to Abbeyshrule”, Mr Ó’Braonáin explained.
There, it is alleged that five large sports bags and one large suitcase were loaded on the plane before the two men returned to Abbeyshrule, landing in the early evening of August 4.
On that day, Garda surveillance was put in place, and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), supported by other units, were monitoring the aircraft.
When the two men landed, it is alleged the six bags were loaded into an Alfa Romeo car owned by the other man, who was later intercepted and arrested by gardaí at Lough Owel.
The car was searched and the six bags were each found to contain 20 blocks, each wrapped in plastic with green tape and a picture of a seahorse on them.
Each of the 120 blocks was found to contain approximately one kilogram of cocaine, totalling 120kg, with a market value of €8.4m.
Mr Luczak had left the aerodrome in a black Mercedes, and was stopped at Collinstown, County Westmeath, before being taken to Ashbourne Garda Station for interview.
“In essence, he made admissions regarding the journey but denied knowledge regarding the contents of the bags,” said Mr Ó’Braonáin.
The Cessna 182-S aircraft was part-owned by eight equal shareholders as part of a club, including Mr Luczak. Some of those part-owners were witnesses in the trial today, and it was heard that the accused man was a 12.5% shareholder of the plane.
Each shareholder paid a fee of €150 per month to cover maintenance and insurance, plus a sum of €130 per hour for fuel and insurance. That fee has since gone up to €150.
The trial is expected to last in the region of three to four weeks, and up to 50 prosecution witnesses are expected to feature.