Liverpool man James John Murphy in court over Belfast Harbour £1m drugs bust

The drugs were found hidden in divan beds in a lorry at Belfast Harbour.

A 33-year-old man was remanded into custody on Wednesday accused of having £1million worth of cannabis concealed inside beds. The drugs were found during a policing operation at Belfast Harbour on Tuesday morning. James John Murphy appeared at the city’s magistrates' court on charges connected to the seizure.

Murphy, of Dencourt in Liverpool, is accused of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. The haul was discovered after a vehicle was stopped and searched by detectives from the PSNI’s organised crime unit, supported by Border Force staff and Belfast Harbour Police. Quantities of suspected cannabis had allegedly been vacuum packed and hidden within divan beds.

According to police the illicit consignment has an estimated street value of £1m. During the brief hearing, Murphy’s lawyers indicated they needed more time to prepare and mount a structured application for bail. District Judge Alana McSorley remanded the defendant in custody, to appear in court again on January 5.

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