Letterkenny Garda chiefs are delighted that Gerard Colhoun is now ‘out of the loop’
GARDAI in Donegal are jubilant after a cog in a drug gang was jailed over a €20,000 heroin bust three years ago.
Evil ‘smack’ pusher Gerard Colhoun was this evening starting a five year sentence behind bars for trying to bring the lethal drug into Donegal.
But the plot to flood Letterkenny and other areas within the county with herion was smashed during a Garda intelligence-led drug operation.
Today, Colhoun, from Munitirtinney, Raphoe stood in the dock of Cavan Circuit Court when Judge John O’Hagan handed him down a 60 month jail term for possession of the killer drug with intent to supply.
Colhoun came to the attention of Gardai following a tip-off about his role in the supply and and sale of herion in both Letterkenny and greater Donegal areas.
As a result, the Letterkenny drugs unit set up a covert surveillance operation in 2010 to discreetly monitor his activities and where he was buying his drugs from.
They soon discovered he was making regular trips outside the county to Cavan.
And on the day of April, 22, 2010, the drugs unit pounced on Colhoun as he coming back from Cavan to Donegal.
His vehicle was intercepted and onboard Letterkenny drug unit officers found him to be in possession of heroin with a street value of €19,000.
This evening Gardai in Letterkenny were delighted with Colhoun’s five year sentence.
A spokesperson said: “It is significant that he has been taken out of the loop.
“The sentence passed today is a clear message to anyone involved in the supply of drugs that if you are caught you will go to prison and you will lose your liberty for a substantial period of time.”