A SPANISH BASED UK builder has been remanded in custody after gardaí charged him over a seizure of almost €4.7 million of cocaine in Dublin.

Officers from the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) stopped a vehicle on Friday in the Leopardstown area.

During the operation, 67 kilogrammes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €4.7 million was seized.

Gardaí arrested Bradley Lewis Spencer, 27, with an address in Corian, Pueblos Los Olieos, Malaga, Spain, and detained him under Section 2 of The Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act 1996, at Dundrum Garda Station the seizure.

He appeared before Judge Conal Gibbons at Dublin District Court today.

He is accused of possessing cocaine with intent to supply, contrary to the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Dressed in a T-shirt and shorts, he spoke only to confirm he had legal representation.

Detective Garda Patrick Hearne told Judge Gibbons that Spencer “made no reply” when charged at 12.01 am yesterday.

The court heard he was handed copies of the charges.

Detective Garda Hearne told the court there would be objections to bail.

However, defence solicitor Jeremy Breen informed the judge that “there is not an application for bail at this time”.

Judge Gibbons remanded him in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on Thursday.

The accused, via his solicitor, applied for legal aid.

The judge queried if there was a Garda objection and the GNDOCB detective said he was looking for a statement of Spencer’s means.

Breen said the statement was available.

He added that his client, an unemployed builder, was a UK national residing in Spain.

Judge Gibbons deferred a ruling on legal aid “until I get more information”.

Spencer has not yet indicated how he will plead.