Man remanded in £130k cannabis case

A Chinese man accused of involvement in a £130,000 cannabis smuggling operation was remanded into custody on Saturday.

Objecting to a bail application on behalf of 25-year-old Guang Xu at Belfast Magistrates Court, Detective Constable Sodden said police feared that if released, Xu could flee the country or reoffend.
Xu, with an address at Beech Heights in south Belfast, is charged with conspiring with other persons unknown to possess class B herbal cannabis with intent to supply.
The charges arise after a package of herbal cannabis arrived Xu flat's in the Annadale area of Belfast last Thursday.
DC Sodden told the court that a 22-year-old who was arrested in the flat at the time has since been released on police bail but that from mobile phone traffic and admissions during interviews, police believed that Xu had been involved in up to six similar transactions which are currently being investigated.
He revealed that during police questioning, Xu claimed he had been approached by two men offering to pay him up to £400 to receive a "secret" package.
The officer said police had considerable fears of flight, believing he had access to large amounts of funds as there had been significant lodgements into Xu's bank account and that as a student, he drove a £9,000 Nissin Skyline sportscar.
Remanding Xu into custody to appear again on July 25 District Judge Amanda Henderson said she had "a number of concerns" including the risk of flight, that Xu had potentially been involved in at least six other similar drugs transactions and because if convicted "there's a real risk of a substantial custodial sentence".