Armagh man Ciaran McBride in court over £10m lorry drugs find

A 38-year-old man has been remanded in custody charged over the biggest ever seizure of suspected cocaine in Northern Ireland.

The huge haul estimated to be worth £10m was found hidden in boxes of frozen meat in a truck. Appearing via video link from Musgrave police station in Belfast, Ciaran McBride of Mellifont Drive in Armagh replied yes when asked if he understood the charges against him.

The judge told the court this is "no doubt a serious offence. It's not an amateur enterprise. This is organised crime at its highest level". When applying for bail solicitor told the court he denies any involvement with the drugs.

The court was also told McBride feared his life is in danger from those who own the drugs found in the lorry on the 11 December 2023. A detective told the court he could connect McBride to the charges. Bail was refused. Last Monday officers patrolling the Jonesborough area of south Armagh stopped a suspicious lorry and searched the vehicle. Inside suspected cocaine with a street value was discovered concealed in boxes of frozen meat. Police said the "sophistication and sheer quantity" showed the level of criminality involved. Ciaran McBride will appear in court again in four weeks.

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