From Scenic to seizure

Six and half years for growhouse accused

A routine checkpoint on the N3 just north of Virginia Town at the height of the pandemic was unfolding like any other - with only a trickle of traffic - until a dark grey Renault Scenic hesitated on approach, then veered down a cul-de-sac.

Thirty seconds later, the seemingly ordinary people carrier re-emerged, dodged back towards Virginia, before darting down another backroad. Gardaí, already suspicious, followed with lights flashing, forcing the vehicle to pull over.

The traffic stop started a five-year investigation, and the uncovering of a “sophisticated” growhouse network spanning from an estate in Cavan to a semi-detached in Louth, which culminated last week in the sentencing of Raimondas Pupsys (40), the second of two Lithuanian nationals involved.

What linked Pupsys, said to be living “homeless” in a tent on Dublin's Southside, was key forensic evidence that only came to light on day two of his trial. Until then the accused had firmly denied all charges.

His co-accused, Simonas Bruzas (41), is already serving six years for the Cavan discovery, with another six - partly suspended - for his role in the Drogheda enterprise.

Say nothing

Garda Sergeant Pauric Kelly described how the men appeared “nervous” when stopped. The driver, Bruzas, handed over a Lithuanian ID, while Pupsys insisted that his English was “poor” - a claim queried by the prosecution.

Away from the jury’s ears, prosecutor Frank Martin challenged the need for an interpreter, with officers believing Pupsys in fact spoke “a very good standard” of English.

By the roadside, Pupsys though remained stoic. Sgt Kelly said their stories “didn’t add up”, and their “uncooperative” silence appeared more choreographed than hindered by any perceived language barrier.

A search of the Scenic revealed a startling haul: a large cardboard box containing heat lamps, generators, timer switches, ‘Terra Acquatica’ plant boosters, and cannabis cultivation leaflets. Nine mobile phones, green rubber gloves, alternate number plates, a signal blocker, GPS tracker, screwdrivers, and a wrench were also seized.

Explaining the signal blocker, Sgt Kelly told Judge Aylmer: “The owner clicks their key to lock their car door, but the gadget blocks the signal… I believe this, and the other items, were to be used in the theft of vehicles.”

Neither Pupsys nor Bruzas gave a reason for the items recovered.

The pair also carried two house keys that opened doors to houses in Cavan and Louth- addresses found scrawled in a battered red-coloured diary.

Background

While Pupsys initially appeared to have no convictions in Ireland, court hearings revealed he had served significant time for kidnapping, extortion, and assault, with an eight-and-a-half-year sentence handed down at Grimsby Crown Court in 2014.

The crimes, a local police chief later said, had “a significant impact” on the victims and on the local Lithuanian community at large.

Hailing from Šilute, Western Lithuania - a town famous for its fish market and peat exports - Pupsys, the Celt has learned, was an amateur boxer, winning a European Championship medal under famed ring trainer Vincas Murauskas.

Aside from a conviction for possession of certain articles contrary to Section 15 Theft and Fraud Act arising from the Lisgrey traffic stop, Pupsys' other priors include theft at Créteil, a suburb of Paris in 2009 for which he received a two-month sentence, and theft again in Linconshire, England in 2011. He got a three-year ban for drink driving in 2012, also England, before next appearing at a court in Mulhouse in 2018, a city in eastern France famous for its car museums near the Swiss and German borders.

Gardaí could not say when he first arrived in Ireland.

Bruzas, by contrast, was portrayed at his hearing as a somewhat reluctant horticulturalist, cultivating cannabis to try to fund a legitimate business.

He admitted to downloading growhouse instructions online, and carried 23 previous convictions from across the UK and Germany.

When asked about the key, he shrugged: “I can’t remember exactly where I got it.”

Charged

Both men faced possession of cannabis valued over €13,000, possession with intent to sell, and cultivation charges at properties in Honeysuckle Hill, Rocklands, Cavan, and The Park, Riverbank, Drogheda, in early 2021.

Bruzas pleaded guilty early, while Pupsys initially fought the charges before ultimately pleading to cultivation at the Drogheda address, after it was brought to light that his fingerprints had been found on a tub containing harvested cannabis, and on a disposable cup discarded on a sideboard.

The Director of Public Prosecutions directed that the charge of sale and supply of cannabis with a value over €13,000 be taken into account, and all other counts dropped.

Behind closed doors

Gardaí described both properties as “sophisticated” operations, with cannabis at various growth stages filling every bedroom. Heat lamps, hydroponics systems, insulation, and bypassed electricity meters supported production from “seed” to harvest ready.

At the Rocklands property, a landlord reported renting to a “tall blonde” Lithuanian man with a moustache in May 2020. Bedrooms were thick with plants, bathrooms repurposed for irrigation, and vacuum-sealed bags of processed cannabis weighed from 300g up to 2kg. The total seizure was 90 plants (€72,000) and nearly 4kg of processed cannabis (€78,440).

In Drogheda, gardaí recovered 128 plants (€102,400) and almost 4kg of processed cannabis (€79,220), with every room serving as a “production” system.

Pupsys remained silent during interviews, giving only “no comment” responses.

Damage to the properties was significant too, but owners opted not to make victim statements, fearing reprisals.

Prosecutor Frank Martin remarked: “The finding of one key might be coincidence. Two keys, for two properties, in the same man’s pocket? That would make Pupsys one of the ‘unluckiest’ men in Ireland.”

Sentencing

Pupsys appeared before Judge John Aylmer dressed in a grey Prada tracksuit and Louis Vuitton baseball cap, and was represented in court by James McGowan SC, instructed solicitor Michael Kelleher.

It was acknowledged that Pupsys, according to his probation report, “lacks insight” into his offending. He misuses alcohol, but denied having ever been involved with any sort of organised crime gang.

Considered at “high risk” of reoffending, Mr McGowan indicated that Pupsys had a difficult upbringing. He said his client moved to Ireland around five years ago and first worked in a fireplace factory, then a farm, before finding himself homeless.

A letter of apology was handed into court.

Considering sentence, Judge John Aylmer cited the “high volume of cannabis” and the operation’s sophistication as aggravating factors, but placed the level of offending in the “mid-range”.

He ultimately sentenced Pupsys to six and a half years, with no suspension, citing “little grounds for optimism” given the contents of the probation report. Credit though was given for time served, and an order made to destroy the drugs and paraphernalia seized.

A request was meanwhile made by Pupsys, through his legal team, to serve his time at Dublin's Mountjoy Prison.

Keeping people safe

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern, Louth Cavan Monaghan Garda Division, welcomed the sentencing handed down at Cavan Circuit Court.

“This case involved the discovery of a sophisticated grow house and the outcome reflects the determined work of the investigation team, supported by specialist units and our partners across the organisation. Their persistence ensured that those responsible have been held to account,” he told The Anglo-Celt.

The Chief Superintendent added: “Drug cultivation of this nature harms communities, fuels intimidation, and finances organised criminality. We remain committed to disrupting these networks wherever they take root and to protecting our communities and keeping people safe.”