Poison tablets ‘set to be sold’
Fears that poisonous ecstasy tablets were about to be sold prompted police to move against an allegedly criminal gang, a court has heard.
Drugs squad detectives believe the gang were supplying ecstasy, cocaine and amphetamines at the Coach Inn Nightclub in Banbridge.
Eight men and a juvenile appeared at Newry Magistrates Court charged with possessing and supplying Class A drugs.
Six of the accused were bailed when they appeared in court.
A detective claimed the situation inside the Coach Inn was so bad that on weekend nights undercover officers could have walked in at anytime and bought drugs.
The detective said intelligence gleaned by those officers had led them to a father and son who they believe are at the heart of the alleged gang.
He said the police believe that no drug transaction could take place inside the club without the knowledge of Lloyd and Nathan Barkley from the Antrim Road in Ballymena.
He said runners would bring cash from drugs transactions back to the Barkleys before being issued with more drugs.
Six of the accused were bailed, but bail was refused for the Barkleys and for Mark William Le Blanc from Chichester Park East in Ballymena.
The police alleged he was a more senior member of the gang than the others who they described as “runners”.
The accused were arrested at houses in south-east Antrim, mid-Ulster and Ballymena.
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