Two men were remanded in custody at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Friday in connection with the discovery of cannabis worth an estimated £240,000.
The men, aged 34 and 31, were charged after cannabis was recovered from a vehicle in Kinallen, Co. Down.
They are charged with offences including possession of class B drugs with intent to supply, being concerned in the supply of class B drugs and possession of criminal property.
The charges followed a report from the public of a suspicious vehicle on Thursday 15 January.
Officers from the local District Support Team on mobile patrol noted the vehicle on the Gall Bog Road in Kinallen a short time later and upon stopping the car, discovered a significant quantity of cannabis within and arrested the two occupants.
Weidong Li (34), with an address in Dublin, and Fu Qiang (31), of Rutland Place in Dublin, are charged with drugs offences and possession of ‘criminal property’.
Li is also accused of possessing an offensive weapon – a flick baton.
The defendants had the assistance of an interpreter in court.
Objecting to bail, a police officer said the defendants did not have addresses in Northern Ireland.
Police stopped a car in the Kinallen area and there was a smell of cannabis.
Twenty-four kilos of suspected herbal cannabis in 24 vacuum sealed bags worth “£240,000” was in the boot.
A flick baton “with a spike on the end” was in the car along with cash, “a credit card payment machine” and “deal lists,” the officer said.
A defence lawyer for Li said the defendant would “do odd jobs driving”. He had collected boxes in County Down and “did not know what was going on”.
The lawyer said the defendant has lived in Dublin for two years.
Qiang’s lawyer said that defendant attends a language school in Dublin and had been offered 50 Euro to “help deliver parcels” and did not know the contents.
Deputy District Judge Peter Prenter refused bail due to a “flight risk”. The cases were adjourned to February 13.
