In the first case of its kind in the area, 47-year-old Pranas Motriuk is now convicted of directing organised crime in Cork City. The verdict was delivered just before lunchtime today.

It followed a major investigation headed by Detective Inspector Denis Lynch and a large number of drugs unit detectives throughout the city as well as a covert drugs unit from around the country who made controlled purchases of drugs so that chains of evidence could be established to show how the operation was happening and who was controlling it.

47-year-old Pranas Motriuk of 13 Manor Grove, Thornbury View, Rochestown, Cork, denied the principle charge of directing and controlling the activities of a criminal organisation between November 10, 2023, and March 26, 2025. He is now convicted of that.

He was also convicted of having cannabis and a benzodiazepine, namely etizolam, for sale or supply at his home on March 25, 2025. Finally, he was convicted of money-laundering in relation to sums of €470 and €1,050 at North City Link Road on September 25, 2024, and at Kyrl’s Street on October 3, 2024, respectively.

The money-laundering charges were key elements in the principle charge of directing organised crime. While the evidence was complicated and detailed one key strand of evidence was that Lithuanian individuals working under the direction of Pranas Motriuk sold drugs to undercover gardaí making controlled purchases with marked notes. 

The money was passed on to the gang’s organiser and when he was stopped and searched he had the marked notes in his possession.

The person at the top often does not actively deal drugs but the marked notes were vital circumstantial evidence linking him to the crimes. Prosecution senior counsel Tom Creed stressed this link when putting the case before the jury.

'You’re wasting time'

When interviewed across 13 different interviews with drugs unit gardaí, Pranas Motriuk repeatedly denied directing or being involved in organised crime.

At one stage he said: “It’s a lot of bullshit, I don’t want to continue this. I told you earlier I appreciated you’re doing your work but you’re wasting my time and your time… Unless you have something concrete to put on table I want to go back to cell.

"Show me CCTV of me giving drugs, selling drugs to somebody, otherwise bring me to cell or let me go home. It's only observation, the fact somebody meeting other people and other people involved in drugs. You’re wasting time, let’s finish up and go home. Go home, enjoy your life, let me go home to my family and enjoy my life.” 

Pranas Motriuk was refused bail following his arrest and has been in custody since March 2025. Today, Judge Dermot Sheehan remanded him in continuing custody until June 29 for sentencing.

He will not be the only one being sentenced on that date in one of the biggest drugs investigations undertaken in Cork in many years.

When the trial commenced on April 30 two other men also faced charges. 46-year-old Jonas Pavilionis of no fixed address and 38-year-old Aleksandras Kuznecovas of no fixed address, both denied the charges against them.

However, mid-way through the trial they entered pleas of guilty to committing an offence of having drugs for sale or supply for the benefit of or under the direction of an organised crime group. Mr Pavilionis admitted additional charges of having a machete at Douglas shopping centre car park and two bill-hooks at Audley Place, St. Patrick’s Hill, Cork.

Five other people who admitted various other charges related to these crimes pleaded guilty to the different parts they played, before the trial of the three men commenced. So eight people now face sentencing on June 29.

Prosecution senior counsel, Tom Creed, said at the outset of the trial that the investigation commenced back in November 2023 because of heroin-dealing taking place around Cork City. 

“They had suspicions that certain persons were involved. They set up an investigation led by Detective Inspector Denis Lynch who put in place a surveillance operation. It was suspected by Det. Insp. Lynch that Mr Motriuk was involved. 

"The prosecution says it believes that not alone was he involved in the criminal organisation but he was directing it, he was the man in charge,” Mr Creed said.

Mr Creed said a man not before the court was stabbed and that, following this, Mr Pavilionis “appeared on the scene and one of Mr Pavilionis’s jobs was to protect the dealers — and that this was why the machete was found in the car". 

As well as surveillance, there were 21 controlled drug purchases made by undercover members of An Garda Síochána in the investigation, Mr Creed said.

Referring to one incident that formed part of the trial, the prosecution senior counsel said: “Mr Motriuk was driving on the North City Link Road and he was stopped by members of An Garda Síochána and lo and behold, part of the monies he had were notes used by the undercover guard to purchase diamorphine (from another person).” 

A jury of nine men and three women was sworn in for the trial at the end of April. But in the course of the trial two of the jurors were excused and discharged for different reasons and by agreement of the prosecution senior counsel and defence senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan, the trial continued, ultimately before a jury of 10. The only verdicts that could have been delivered at that stage were ones on which all 10 of them agreed.

The jury had a number of questions, including one at the outset of their deliberations. They wanted to know if they could approach the charges in any particular order. Judge Sheehan told them that this was a matter for them to decide. 

As it happened they first reached guilty verdicts on the drugs charges, then on the money-laundering, and then finally — and most significantly — on the principle charge against Pranas Motriuk of directing organised crime.

Judge Sheehan said to the jurors today: “I want to thank you for your service. It does occur to me that this case was a trial of an exceptionally exacting nature. The criminal justice system relies on people like you giving up your time to do this. 

"We appreciate the time you have given up to this trial. I will excuse you from jury service for 10 years from today because of the exceptionally exacting service you have given.” 

A Lithuanian interpreter translated proceedings for the accused man throughout the trial and his services were directed for the sentencing hearing on June 29.

Cases of directing organised crime are usually dealt with at the Special Criminal Court, but in this case it was decided that it could be heard by judge and jury at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.