A man caught dealing heroin to undercover gardai posing as drug addicts has avoided jail after receiving a suspended jail term.

Karl Zambra (27) was arrested as part of Operation Marshall, a garda operation targeting the supply of heroin and crack cocaine in the St Teresa Gardens flats.

Zambra of St Teresa’s Gardens, Donore Avenue, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of heroin and cocaine for sale or supply on July 13 and 23 2010.

Gda Sgt Brian Roberts of the Garda National Drugs Unit told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that undercover gardai had gone to the flats complex and Zambra approached them.

Zambra told them he didn’t know them and asked them what they were doing. The gardai told them they were looking for “one rock”. Zambra called them back and told them to go inside the flat’s stairwell, pick up the drugs on the stairwell and leave money there.

He told them: "That's good stuff, I know you'll be back". The drug was later found to be cocaine on analysis.
On another date Zambra came over and told a group of drug addicts, which included the undercover gardai, that he would give out “the rock” first and then he’d give you “the brown”.

He sold three brown packages containing heroin to the undercover gardai for €50 each.

The court heard Zambra has 73 previous convictions including one for drug dealing, four for possession of drugs and a conviction for burglary.

Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said the neighbourhood Zambra lives in is blighted by drugs and that Zambra was involved in that in 2010. He said he has developed a more responsible attitude since then and that he comes from a solid law abiding family.