East Belfast: James McGrogan denied bail after drugs find
- Published
The police released a photo of the items seized during the search on Saturday
A 36-year-old man charged in connection with the seizure of a kilogram of cocaine and £30,000 in cash has been denied bail.
James Thomas McGrogan, from Ardenlee Drive in Belfast, appeared in court charged with a number of drugs offences and possessing criminal property.
It followed the seizure of drugs with an estimated street value of £100,000 in east Belfast on Saturday.
The court heard he denied the charges against him.
Belfast Magistrates' Court heard the drugs and cash were found in a "sophisticated concealment hide" in a car which Mr McGrogan had been a passenger in.
Police had observed the car being driven to a property in Picardy Avenue, where a package was passed through the window.
The car was then stopped nearby in Montgomery Road, where police carried out a search and found no trace of the package.
'Professionally installed hide'
A detective constable investigating the case told the court that police found no grounds for arrest, but recovered the car.
A further search of the vehicle revealed a "professionally installed, hydraulically-controlled hide", which police had to break into with the use of hydraulics.
The detective constable told the court: "Inside that hide, there was a kilogram of cocaine in various states.
"There were broken parts of what we would describe as a compressed block, loose cocaine in multiple bags, prepared deal bags of cocaine, unused deal bags, scales, and all the accoutrements of drugs supply.
"There was also £30,000 approximately in cash which was located in a Flannels [shopping] bag. This item would be consistent with what was passed through the window at the time of the observations on Picardy Avenue."
Drugs convictions
Mr McGrogan was subsequently arrested.
He was charged with possessing criminal property, two counts of possession of a Class A controlled drug - cocaine - and intent to supply.
He was also charged with possession of a Class C controlled drug - diazepam - and intent to supply.
The court heard Mr McGrogan has 22 criminal convictions, six of which were for serious drugs offences.
It also heard he was currently on bail for "serious drugs offences" related to EncroChat - the international encrypted phone investigation.
A lawyer for Mr McGrogan said given the defendant was currently on bail for drug related offences, "this is not an ideal position for him to find himself in".
However, he added that the defendant was entitled to a presumption of innocence and a presumption of bail.
Denying bail due to what he deemed to be a "high risk of reoffending", the judge said the defendant would reappear before the court by videolink on 24 April.