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Two men accused of being the leaders of an organised criminal gang and who allegedly carry guns for their own protection, appeared at Fermanagh Court yesterday (Wednesday).

Pascal Kelly (47) and Jonathan Gill (31) were arrested in a car on the Queen Elizabeth Road in Enniskillen last Monday.

Officers subsequently recovered a key to an apartment at Portora Wharf beside Enniskillen Police Station and seized over 65,000 euro. They also recovered 24 mobile phones and two cars.

Kelly, from Ishlawn, Ballyjamesduff, County Cavan, and Gill, from Malahide Road, Dublin, are both charged with possessing criminal property.

Kelly is further charged with possessing a forged passport and obstructing a police officer.

The men were in court to apply for bail.

Their defence barrister, Mr. Ian Turkington, began by warning the prosecution against speculation and said it should stick to the facts.

Outlining the background to the case, a member of the PSNI's Organised Crime Branch told the court that according to gardai the men regularly carried firearms for their own protection.

Mr. Turkington immediately got to his feet to object.

The officer said that as a result of information received, police stopped a Renault Clio on the Queen Elizabeth Road on Monday, February 4, and arrested Kelly and Gill. During a search officers found the key to an apartment at Portora Wharf. They went and searched the apartment and discovered 65,826 euro and £2,669. They also found a passport bearing Kelly's photograph but in the name of Brendan Duffy, the name given by Kelly when he was arrested. Officers also seized 24 mobile phones and found the keys to a Mazda and Ford Focus as well as a receipt for a hotel in Enniskillen in the name of John Jones. None of the cars linked to the men were registered to them.

The officer told the court the apartment had been rented by an Anthony Heaney, who, in a witness statement, said he had sub-let it to a Pascal Kelly.

During police interviews the men were asked about the cash and made no comment. They were arrested for possession of criminal property.

Explaining his objections to bail, the officer said Kelly was a flight risk. He had a false passport and appeared to have ready excess of large quantities of cash and might be able to contact others to get another false passport. There were three warrants for his arrest in the Republic of Ireland and he had supplied 11 possible bail addresses, of which two were acceptable to the police.

The officer told the court he had spoken to gardai in the Republic and been told Gill had convictions for motoring offences from 2004 until 2011.

He submitted there was also a flight risk in respect of Gill as, with access of large quantities of cash, it would easy for them to evade police.

"We believe these people are leaders of a criminal gang," said the officer, as their defence barrister again got to his feet to object.

The officer continued, referring to them being members of "an organised crime group in Dublin".

Mr. Turkington asked the officer if the false passport was in a fit condition to travel with, suggesting "it was in bits".

The constable accepted that it looked like it had "been through a washing machine" and that he very much doubted whether anyone could travel on it.

The barrister suggested that at this stage there was nothing to connect Gill with the apartment.

The officer replied: "That would be a matter for forensics."

Mr. Turkington suggested the police purported to link Kelly to the apartment by a sub-lease.

He submitted that it was up to the court to prove the property was the produce of a criminal enterprise and not up to the court to infer that just because it was a large sum of money "it must be the product of ill-gotten gains".

The barrister argued that "there's not a shred of evidence" to link Gill to the apartment in question, never mind the money found there, and there was no evidence he would leave the jurisdiction.

Turning to Kelly, he said: "It's fair to say he is no stranger to the courts down south."

He said Kelly had a number of convictions for dishonesty and had three bench warrants against him, two for mobile phone offences and one in relation to a tax matter.

He told the court the families and friends of the two men had raised significant cash sureties and could lodge £10,000 in respect of each of them at Newry Court.

Mr. Turkington said these were serious offences but not the most serious and that "both deny the offences" and are "afforded the presumption of innocence".

District Judge Gerard Trainor dismissed Kelly's application for bail as "entirely hopeless" as his record showed him to be a "seasoned practiced criminal" with convictions for robbery and evading lawful custody.

He told Kelly he was satisfied there was a risk of flight and he would not turn up for his trial in any circumstances. Most importantly, when interviewed in the presence of his lawyer, he was given the opportunity to give an explanation about the money and remained silent.

The District Judge told Gill the reasons for refusing him bail were "equally forthright".

"You're both singing from the same hymn sheet," he told Gill.

Refusing the bail application he said he was satisfied that if he released Gill there was no guarantee he would turn up for his trial.

Kelly and Gill were remanded in custody to appear again at Fermanagh Court by video link from Maghaberry Prison on March 11.