Two Polish nationals were sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison—11 of which are mandatory—for their roles in one of the largest cocaine seizures in Irish history. Robert Wojtanowicz, 46, and Robert Cup, also 46, were jailed at Mullingar Circuit Court on Thursday after police uncovered a sprawling drug operation in a Co Laois garage, including €14.1 million worth of cocaine and 182 kilograms of the drug hidden across multiple vehicles. The case highlights the sophistication of modern drug trafficking networks and the challenges faced by law enforcement in dismantling them.
The operation, described by Gardaí as a “one stop shop for drug trafficking,” was uncovered in a raid on Laois Motor Works in Mountmellick on 4 February 2023. Members of the Dublin Crime Response Team (DCRT) found 182kg of cocaine and 4kg of cannabis valued at €12.8 million in a garage leased by Wojtanowicz. The premises also contained five vehicles modified to conceal drugs, including a Ford Kuga with a hydraulic mechanism to access hidden compartments. One vehicle alone held 41 blocks of cocaine, while another had 57kg of the drug, according to court records.
The seizure marked the culmination of a year-long investigation into a network that operated with “significant planning and premeditation,” as noted by Judge Keenan Johnson. The court heard that the men had adapted vehicles to transport drugs, used industrial machinery to process cocaine, and stored the narcotics in a facility used “wholly and solely for the drug trafficking business.” The scale of the operation—described by Detective Inspector Ken Houlihan of the DCRT as “wholesale manufacture and distribution”—underscored the threat posed by organized drug networks in Ireland.
Wojtanowicz and Cup, who had both entered guilty pleas ahead of their trial, were found to have acted in concert. Wojtanowicz, a father-of-one who moved to Ireland in 2005, admitted to showing officers some drugs but concealing the bulk of the stash. Cup, who had lived in Ireland since 2000, initially refused to identify himself during the raid. Both men were remanded in custody after the operation, with prosecutors citing the “grave, destructive consequences” of cocaine as a key factor in the sentencing.
The court also considered the men’s lack of “trappings of wealth” and their cooperation in locating some drugs. Wojtanowicz submitted a letter expressing remorse, vowing not to reoffend, while Cup’s defense highlighted his “poor command of English” and a clean record in Ireland. However, Judge Johnson noted that Cup’s criminal history in Poland—where he is awaiting a two-year sentence for burglary, dangerous driving, and assault—complicated his case. A European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was issued in 2024 for Cup, who has no prior convictions in Ireland.
The judge imposed a 12-year, six-month sentence, with the final 18 months suspended for five years. Both men also received concurrent five-year sentences
