Man on string of alleged thefts further remanded in custody at Longford District Court

A man accused of being a key figure of an "extremely sophisticated" eastern European crime gang has been remanded in custody for a second time after appearing in court charged in connection to the alleged theft of €300,000 of stolen property.

Thirty-nine-year-old Andrius Parfionovas, 34 Oldbridge Park, Griffeen Valley, Lucan, Dublin, appeared via video link at last week's sitting of Longford District Court.
He had previously been remanded in custody at a special court sitting two days previously following a near two and a half hour contested bail hearing.

The Lituanian national, who is charged with ten counts of handling and possession of stolen property at various commercial and residential properties in Granard, Co Longford and Dublin spoke only briefly as the State indicated it would be seeking a further adjournment.
Among the alleged stolen items Mr Parfionovas is accused of handling include 14 outboard Yamaha engines. 14 Hummingbird fish finders, four marine radios, 4 propellers, 8 GPS systems, two wave boards, and £3,115 in cash, amounting to a total of £48,000.

Those items, the court heard, had been allegedly stolen from a house in Omagh, Co Tyrone barely 12 hours before the accused was arrested by gardaí at a property he had been renting in Granard, Co Longford.

Mr Parfionovas is further charged with handling a stolen Renault Master Van valued at  €20,000 which had been fitted with false plates after it had also been allegedly stolen from a property at Edenderry, Co Offaly on July 25.

Sgt Mark Mahon said directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) were still awaited.
As such, he requested for the case to be put back to a sitting of Harristown District Court on November 25.

In defence, solicitor Bríd Mimnagh said she would be in difficulty in terms of being able to be present and asked for the case to be deferred back to Longford at a sitting in early December.
Judge Bernadette Owens adjourned the case to a sitting of Longford District Court on December 6 with Mr Parfionovas again expected to appear via video link.
A Lithuanian interpreter was also certified for by the court.