A lorry driver charged in connection with a suspected £5m cocaine seizure is a religious convert who believed he was transporting Christian tracts, a court has heard.
Terence Bean, 62, was among three men charged in connection with the largest ever recovery of the class A drugs made in Northern Ireland.
The cocaine was confiscated from a vehicle near the Boucher Road in south Belfast on Saturday.
Bean, who lives in Malaga but with an address at Sparrow Street, Oldham, was charged with being concerned in the supply of Class A drugs, conspiracy to supply, possession and possession with intent to supply.
His co-accused Terence Telford, 38, from Wolfhill Road, Belfast, faces the same charges.
A third man, Michael Reeves, 28, of Carrick Hill, Belfast, is accused of conspiracy to supply cocaine.
All three were remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates Court after a detective constable opposed bail due to the scale of the drugs seizure.
The officer claimed the defendants were part of a criminal organisation which may commit further offences in a bid to recoup some of the estimated £5m lost.
She also disclosed that police have downloaded phone data which allegedly shows contact between the accused.
A barrister for Bean told the court his client had worked as a long distance lorry driver across Britain and Europe for the past 15 years.
Paul Bacon said the accused claimed to have undergone a religious conversion just over a year ago.
The court heard that at one stage Bean was approached by a Belgian man while sleeping by the side of the road in France.
"This man called George saw him praying in his cab and engaged in a religious debate which then went on for months," Mr Bacon said.
'Flimsy evidence'
According to the lawyer he introduced himself as belonging to an organisation called the Brothers and Sisters of the Lord.
Bean agreed to a request to take religious tracts to Northern Ireland during his lorry-driving work, the court was told.
Mr Bacon said further contact was made by another man claiming to represent the same religious group, with Bean given a parcel at a business park in Lancashire last Friday night.
He was allegedly told someone from the organisation would take the package from him when he got to Northern Ireland.
"When I make these submissions on one view they could sound incredible," Mr Bacon accepted.
"The case he makes is he's guilty in his own words of complete and utter naivety."
"He says he has been exploited. He was going through a period in his life when he was at a low ebb and suffering from depression and sought solace in religion."
"He makes the case he didn't know in any way shape or form what was in that package."
The court heard Telford described as a self-employed mechanic who runs his own vehicle recovery business.
His lawyer, Matt Higgins, also revealed he was a Boys Brigade officer and offers other help at his church in Glengormley.
Reeves' solicitor, Niall Murphy, stressed that he strenuously denied the allegations against him.
Mr Murphy described the evidence linking his client - who was arrested 12 hours after his two co-accused - to the case as "incredibly flimsy".
However, District Judge Fiona Bagnall remanded all three suspects in custody to appear again via video-link on January 18.
© UTV News