A man from Waterford and a Polish pilot have today been charged following the Garda seizure of €8.4 million worth of cocaine on Thursday.
The pair have been remanded in custody and will appear before Mullingar District Court next week.
Tim Gilchrist, 54, of Mavis Bank, Newrath, Waterford and pilot Michal Lucsak, 41, with an address at Primrose Avenue, Jigginstown Naas, Co. Kildare, were arrested on suspicion of possessing cocaine for sale or supply.
Mr Gilchrist is accused of drug trafficking at Lough Owel, Irishtown, Co. Westmeath while father of two Mr Lucsak is charged with the same offences at Abbeyshrile Aerodrome.
Investigators seized the drugs after pulling over two vehicles in Lough Owel, Co. Westmeath.
Follow-up searches were then carried out at homes in Naas and Waterford City and at an airfield in Longford.
A light aircraft plane was seized from the airfield.
In all, 120kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of €8.4m was seized.
The seizure was described in court as a “massive loss” to a criminal group.
Reporting by Tom Tuite
Picture by: An Garda Síochána
