Three Portuguese men who cultivated cannabis in “a sophisticated grow house” have been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Miguel Lopez Lima (28) of no fixed abode, Dublin 1, Perdor Barbosa (34) of Suffolk Street, Rochdale, England and Hugo De Silva (23) of no fixed abode, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to cultivating cannabis at Frederick Lane North, Dublin 1, on March 2nd.

Detective Garda Liam Brennan told Gráinne O’Neill BL, prosecuting, gardaí obtained a search warrant for the address on foot of confidential information and observed the three accused entering and exiting the premises on the date in question.

Det Garda Brennan said the address was “a sophisticated grow house”. Gardaí discovered 1,439 cannabis plants in various stages of growth, the largest in size being 63 inches tall.

Barbosa has nine previous convictions in Portugal, three of which are for drugs offences. Lopez Lima and De Silva both have three previous convictions in Portugal, including one conviction each for a drugs offence.

Det Gda Brennan agreed with Séamus Clarke SC, defending De Silva, that his client said all of the men were living on a farm near Wellington Bridge in Wexford and being driven to the grow house every day. He agreed De Silva was not a profit-taker and was at the lower end of the operation.

Vincent Heneghan SC, defending Barbosa, said his client met people in England who said he would be paid €800 a week for a good job in Ireland and housed. He said when his client arrived he realised the job was to do with cannabis, but stayed as he was under threat.

James Dwyer SC, defending Lopez Lima, said his client’s time in custody was more difficult than for others as he did not have contact with Portuguese speakers. He said his client claimed he once played football professionally.

Judge Martin Nolan said he suspected the men were promised a lot more than they were going to get, but they were here for the money. He said he accepted they were under a certain level of coercion.

Judge Nolan sentenced all three men to two-and-a-half years imprisonment.