A man who played "an important role" in smuggling €8.4m worth of cocaine into Ireland has been jailed for 11 years.
56-year-old Tim Gilchrist - from Mavis Bank, Newrath in Waterford - flew the drugs in through Abbeyshrule Aerodrome.
Described by the defence as a "Walter Mitty-type character", Gilchrist had no reaction when the sentence was imposed.
He was caught after an investigation was launched based on information received about a Cessna light aircraft that was being used to bring drugs into Ireland.
On August 4th 2022, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau set up an operation at Abbeyshrule Aerodrome in County Longford surveilling the aircraft as it flew from France to the aerodrome.
A short time later, Gilchrist's car was stopped at Lough Owel in County Westmeath, where 120 kilogrammes of cocaine was found.
He pleaded guilty to possessing drugs worth €13,000 or more and also admitted unlawfully importing the cocaine in the light aircraft.
However, Gardaí said his claims about doing so "under duress" and the alleged threats against his daughter were a "fanciful" story, which could not be corroborated.
They concluded he engaged in this crime for financial gain and Judge Keenan Johnson set a headline of 16 years and six months, but said terms could be reduced due to the guilty plea.
The sentence was backdated to August 4th 2022 when he went into custody.
