Armed Criminal Assets Bureau officers targeting criminal gang raid car garage

Other units involved were the Garda Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), the Garda Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit (SMVIU), the Garda Technical Bureau and the Garda Dog Unit. In total, eight searches were conducted in Cos Limerick, Tipperary and Dublin. Two homes, two business premises (Car Sales Outlets), four Professional Premises (Solicitors, Accountant and a Finance Company) were searched. The following were seized:

• 45  Vehicles €43,000 euro and £1,000 cash
• 1 Rolex watch
• Documentation in relation to the ownership of assets, financial documentation, mobile phones and electronic storage devices were seized and are currently being examined by Bureau Officers.

The CAB investigation centres on an Organised Crime Gang involved in the sale and supply of controlled drugs in the Limerick City and County areas, and who suspected of being involved in laundering the proceeds of their criminal conduct through a Car Sales Outlet in Limerick City. A Bank Account held by one Car Sales Business was restrained by a Court Order, pursuant to Section 17(2) of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010 No arrests were made. Today’s search operation is a significant development in the CAB investigation and will be seen as a major upset to Organised Criminal activity in the Limerick City and County areas.    

    They were also using luxury vehicles, some valued at up to €150,000, as payment for drugs. This was being facilitated by working with other drugs gangs in the UK that had also established car garages there.