Belfast: Man in court over 拢1m of cannabis inside beds
- Published
A man has appeared in court in Belfast after the discovery of cannabis worth 拢1m that had been concealed inside divan beds.
James John Murphy, 33, of Dencourt in Liverpool, was charged with possessing a Class B drug and possession with intent to supply.
The drug was vacuum-packed into plastic pouches and hidden within the beds.
The packages were uncovered after a vehicle was stopped and searched at Belfast Harbour on Tuesday morning.
At Belfast Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning, Mr Murphy confirmed that he understood the charges against him.
No application for bail was made on his behalf.
A defence barrister told the court that he had advised Mr Murphy that it would be inappropriate to apply for bail at present because of the "substantial haul of drugs" involved.
He added: "Police will want time to check out mobile phones and various searches have to be conducted.
"Therefore I've explained to him that the risk of interference with witnesses is high at the minute because police will want to verify all of that."
Mr Murphy is due to appear before the court again on 5 January for an update from the Public Prosecution Service on its position and any possible bail application.
The seizure of the cannabis was part of a joint operation involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Border Force and the Belfast Harbour Police.