When officers searched the vehicle, a purpose-built hide was discovered in the roof containing 27.5 kilos of herbal cannabis
A van driver who claimed he was delivering a hot tub but was actually smuggling cannabis worth £220,000 into Northern Ireland and across the border to the Republic of Ireland has been jailed after a National Crime Agency investigation.
NCA officers arrested Lithuanian national Paulius Andrulis, 37, at Belfast port on 15 June 2025 after he arrived on a sailing from Cairnryan port in Scotland.
Border Force officers questioned Andrulis about his movements, and he told them he was delivering a hot tub to an address in Mullingar in the Republic of Ireland.
When officers searched the vehicle, a purpose-built hide was discovered in the roof containing 27.5 kilos of herbal cannabis, a class B drug. The hide ran the length of the van’s roof, with access through the top of the van’s rear doors.
Andrulis was arrested the following day on suspicion of possessing a controlled drug with intent to supply. In interview, he claimed he was asked to drop the van at the address and it would then be returned to him hours later with the hot tub removed.
He denied any knowledge of drugs and said he had been asked to make the delivery by a man he knew as ‘Sprite’.
Andrulis appeared at Laganside Crown Court on 29th June, where he admitted the offence.
He was sentenced to two years and two months in prison at the same court today (11 August).
NCA Branch Commander David Cunningham said: “Paulius Andrulis went to great lengths to hide this haul of drugs in his van, with a specialist hide running the length of the roof.
“He denied any knowledge of these drugs but our investigation showed he had likely been involved in a number of previous smuggling runs and his account at interview lacked credibility.
“We are grateful to our partners at Border Force who discovered these drugs. The NCA will continue to do all we can to stop drugs being smuggled into Northern Ireland and across the border.”
John-Jo Oldham, Assistant Director, Border Force Northern Ireland said: “This expert interception demonstrates that Border Force is relentless in combatting drug smuggling.
“These drugs destroy lives, inflicts misery on our communities and fuels further offending.
“We continue to work round the clock to pursue criminality, protect the UK’s borders and keep these dangerous drugs off our streets.”
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