Courts / Dublin / Report
"Extraordinarily foolish" Danish man jailed over cocaine smuggling scam
Summary
Jorgen Sorensen, a 65-year-old Danish bus driver, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after entering signed guilty pleas to importing and possessing cocaine for sale or supply. The offence occurred on November 1, 2018, at Dublin Airport T2, where customs officers discovered two wrapped packages of cocaine valued at €66,871 in his luggage. Sorensen alleged he had been deceived into transporting what he believed were inheritance documents for a woman he met on Facebook, claiming he was to be paid €800 to deliver them from Brazil to London. He stated he had never inspected the bag and trusted the individuals who organised his travel. Judge Melanie Greally described Sorensen's actions as showing a "huge level of naivety" and "significant level of recklessness," noting the enterprise "reeked of scam." The court accepted that his trusting nature had been exploited, though he remained criminally liable. Judge Greally imposed a three-year sentence, with the final 18 months suspended, resulting in an effective custody period of 18 months. The sentence was backdated to the date Sorensen entered custody. Additionally, the court ordered that he leave the jurisdiction within seven days of his release.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Extraordinarily foolish" Danish man jailed over cocaine smuggling scam. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 1, 2018 Incident
- 2019-02-21 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: Jorgen Sorensen (65), who was jailed for 18 months, told gardaí and customs officers that he had never inspected the luggage and believed it had contained these documents. She imposed a three year sentence with the final 18 months suspended.
Places mentioned
Topics
Airport Incidents Drugs Social Media Stage Sentence
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
Help us improve this report
Your request is saved for the newsroom's next review. It does not immediately change the published report.
Prefer email? Send a correction request.