A Co Antrim man charged over a £250,000 cannabis seizure allegedly thought packages in his van were full of toys, a court heard on Tuesday.
Police discovered some of the drugs after stopping 31-year-old Darren Connor’s vehicle in Newtownabbey on Monday.
Another man and woman detained when a further consignment was found in their room at a Belfast hotel claimed they only intended to deliver a traditional Chinese medicine.
Connor, of no fixed abode; 37-year-old Pin Chong; and Mengxin Bai, 32, appeared at the city’s Magistrates Court jointly charged with possessing Class B drugs with intent to supply.
Chong and Bai, also of no fixed address, face a further count of being concerned in the supply of herbal cannabis.
All three accused were refused bail and remanded in custody until next month.
An investigating detective said Connor was driving a white van stopped in the Prince Charles Way area of Glengormley just before midday.
Ten kilos of cannabis with an estimated street value of £150,000 were discovered split between a Christmas bag on the passenger seat and a suitcase in the rear of the vehicle.
During interviews Mr Connor claimed the haul was mistakenly given to him when he went to pick up what he believed to be toys.
“He stated that he had met someone at Nutts Corner market the previous day and agreed to pay £400 for some liquidated toys,” the detective disclosed.
“He arrived in Belfast at an agreed location and items were put in his van.
“He stated that he did not see what was put in the vehicle, check or touch it.”
The court heard CCTV from a hotel in the Donegall Quay area of Belfast showed two people taking a similar bag and suitcase to a white vehicle waiting outside.
Chong and his female co-accused were arrested after police identified and searched their room.
Officers located seven kilos of cannabis worth £105,000 in another large suitcase and Christmas bag.
The pair had allegedly supplied Connor with the haul seized earlier from his van.
In cross-examination, Defence barrister Turlough Madden said they claimed to believe the suitcases contained a Chinese remedy.
“Mr Chong and Ms Bai stated that they were delivering bird’s nests and had no knowledge that they were drugs,” the detective confirmed.
“Mr Chong further stated they had made several visits doing this.”
Opposing bail, she contended that the pair had only been in Northern Ireland for four days and could flee.
Investigations are also continuing in a bid to identify any others allegedly involved in the supply chain, the court heard.
Mr Madden insisted both of his clients have fully cooperated with police.
Connor’s solicitor, Una Conway, stressed that nothing was found during follow-up searches of his home in the Antrim area.
Bail was refused.
District Judge Steven Keown said: “On the police’s case this is clearly a large-scale drug enterprise, the full extent of which is not yet known.”
