'Top man' in crime gang caught with €10.67 million of cocaine at Kilkenny petrol station
A sophisticated hidden compartment containing more than €10million of drugs was discovered in a truck stopped by gardaí at a Kilkenny petrol station.
An x-ray machine had to be used to find the secret stash of 152kgs of cocaine, following an operation by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
At Kilkenny Circuit Court today (Friday) Michael Murphy (61), with an address in Co Waterford, who was described as ‘allegedly the top man of the logistical operation’ in a criminal enterprise, pleaded guilty to a charge of being in possession of drugs for sale or supply to others.
Charges of committing offences in conjunction with a criminal organisation were taken into consideration as was a second charge of having drugs for sale or supply.
Evidence was given by Detective Garda Seán Lane that in early 2025 the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau was investigating the utilisation of haulage companies by criminal gangs to import drugs through Irish ports.
In the course of that investigation confidential information came into garda hands. They were concerned about a haulage company on the Waterford Kilkenny border, Herriot Haulage.
Mr Murphy was the transport manager of the company, where family members were also directors and company secretary. There was no suggestion these family members were involved in criminal activity.
On March 18, 2025, Mr Murphy was the driver and sole occupant of a Volvo articulated truck, registered to Herriot Haulage. He was under surveillance by gardaí when he took the Paulstown exit off the M7 and pulled into the Applegreen service station.
A decision was made by a senior tactical officer in the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau for gardaí to ‘move in.’
A number of garda teams moved in to search the vehicle and secure Mr Murphy. He was arrested at the scene, cautioned, handcuffed and brought to Waterford Garda Station.
The truck was seized. The trailer unit contained no goods at all. It was searched at the scene under the Misuse of Drugs Act but drugs were not immediately found.
A number of items were seized from the cab of the truck, including four mobile phones.
The vehicle was then taken to a special x-ray facility at Dublin Port where the sophisticated concealment compartment was discovered behind a refrigeration unit. It was operated by a hydraulic system that was shown on video in court.
In this concealment gardaí discovered 152kg packs of compacted white powder. On analysis by Forensic Science Ireland this was shown to be 152kg of cocaine with a street value of €10.67 million.
Gardaí also found six holdall bags in the truck and it was suspected they were to be used to transport the drugs when they reached their destination.
The concealed compartment was described in court as “extremely sophisticated.” It had been installed for the purpose of drug trafficking, not for the refrigeration of goods.
Det. Garda Lane described the blocks of cocaine as shrink-wrapped in black packaging with plastic on the outside. Some were numbered and some had pictures of politicians on them. A number of them were taped with different colours.
The court heard detailed evidence of Mr Murphy’s travels from Ireland, across Europe and back to Ireland.
He travelled separately to the truck.
Tacograph details showed it travelled to France, Spain, back to France, then Belgium and the Netherlands.
Four phones found in the cab of the truck were analysed. On one was a photograph of the cocaine from March 9. The court was told this was when the drugs came into the possession of the defendant.
Mr Murphy travelled back to Ireland separately again. He told gardaí he didn’t want to bring the truck back to Ireland because he didn’t want to get caught in Europe.
The driver delivered a load of machinery to the north, then met Mr Murphy at an industrial estate in Naas, where he handed over the vehicle.
Mr Murphy was under surveillance by gardaí. Det. Garda Lane said Mr Murphy was going about his business on March 17 and “he didn’t seem to be a man under pressure whatsoever.”
On March 18, just before 5am, Mr Murphy left Naas and travelled north on the M7. CCTV at the Circle K filling station in Kill showed him going in for coffee.
He was seen scanning parked vehicles “carrying out anti-surveillance” measures. He did this more than once.
The vehicle went up and down the M7, going north then coming back southbound straight away, a number of times. Carrying out anti-surveillance, looking to see if vehicles were police, checking he was not being followed.
Eventually Mr Murphy started to make his way south, before pulling in to the Applegreen in Paulstown.
Garda cyber experts analysed the four phones seized from the truck. He was linked to all four. One was used to contact family and friends, one for legitimate haulage company related business and one was used for criminality.
This phone was used to contact a number of people identified by nicknames. It was used for the organisation of the drugs shipment.
The garda said the messages indicated Mr Murphy was not under any duress and he was in a position to be negotiating prices. He wanted a certain price and the person he was in contact with was not giving the required payment. Mr Murphy was going to hold on to the kilos because he was not getting the price he desired.
Det. Garda Lane said Mr Murphy was “centrally involved” in the logistics of the operation. He was in contact with a number of people, working on behalf of a criminal group.
A person in possession of 152kg of cocaine “would be highly trusted in organised crime,” the garda said.
The court was told Mr Murphy did not tell garda if he was to personally gain financially from the operation.
Mr Murphy had 28 previous convictions, including a tachograph prosecution, a conviction for being in possession of waste likely to cause environmental pollution, a conviction in Belgium for the importation of narcotics, a financial crime under anti narcotics legislation in France, and older road traffic matters.
Defence barrister, Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC, said his client had written a letter, saying in no uncertain terms he was responsible for his actions and it was entirely his decision. He was grateful his family hadn’t turned their backs on him.
He apologised to his family for the shame he brought on them.
Mr Murphy wrote that in his depression after his wife died he “got involved with bad people” and “in time I became a bad person.”
A number of letters from friends and family members were submitted to the court, describing Mr Murphy as a loving father, a kind man, helpful and caring.
His wife had died in 2015 and this had a “catastrophic effect” on the family. One of his daughters wrote that it was her opinion Mr Murphy had “stopped caring about living.”
Mr Ó Lideadha said this case was at the most serious end of the scale in terms of the value of the drugs.
Mr Murphy does not dispute the evidence, he was not a low level participant.
The barrister accepted the hydraulic concealment was sophisticated however it was not exceptional in many cases of this kind.
Accepting that the court must impose a sentence of not less than 10 years, Mr Ó Lideadha but the court had discretion to impose a sentence at the lower end of the scale.
Mr Murphy has expressed remorse and regret. What happened has caused great distress. He had been “badly assaulted” twice in prison and cars had been damaged outside his family home.
In prison he is helping other prisoners with literacy skills and wants to rehabilitate himself and rebuild his relationships with his children, be the father they deserve. A Governor’s report was positive.
Mr Ó Lideadha said his client was entitled to credit for his guilty plea and admissions to gardaí.
Judge Sinéad McMullen said it was a very serious matter and she needed to consider the evidence and mitigation carefully before imposing a sentence.
She adjourned the case to the next sittings of Kilkenny Circuit Court.