Drug accused had several international phone numbers

man accused of being an international cocaine trafficker had telephone numbers for people in more than 20 countries on his mobile phone, a trial has heard. Sunny Idah (36) is alleged to have arranged for two undercover gardaí posing as drug mules to travel to Brazil, swallow cocaine pellets and bring them back to Ireland. His trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence today that gardaí found contact numbers for people from at least 20 countries on one of his mobile phones. They found telephone numbers with international dialing codes for Greece, Belgium, Spain, Guinea, Argentina, Morocco, Mali, Turkey, South Africa and Portugal, amongst others. Mr Idah denied to gardaí during interview that these numbers had anything to do with drug dealing. Mr Idah, with an address at Gerard House, Brown Street, London has pleaded not guilty to two charges of soliciting another person to unlawfully import cocaine between September 14 and 19, 2010. Detective Garda Ciaran O'Reilly told Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, that he believed Mr Idah had displayed a “selective memory” when he was questioned by gardaí. Det Gda O'Reilly said: “With regard to the selective memory of Sunny Idah, at certain points he did not remember his address, his telephone number, his laptop, the registration number of his car.” The detective told Mr Dwyer that gardaí did not translate recorded conversations between three Nigerian men in the presence of Mr Idah and the undercover officers. He said this was because he believed that these other men were “subservient” to Mr Idah and that they did not engage directly with the undercover operatives. He said Mr Idah was originally charged with conspiracy to import cocaine before these charges were changed to soliciting another person to import cocaine. Det Gda O'Reilly said he believed Mr Idah was conspiring with people in Brazil to import the drugs. Mr Dwyer put it to the witness that there is no evidence that anyone in Brazil knew anything about the events his client is charged with. The witness replied that he was satisfied that this was a large international network being operated by the accused. The trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of three woman and eight men.