Criminal Assets Bureau seizes bitcoin for first time

The Criminal Assets Bureau has seized millions of euro from travelling criminal gangs, dissident groups and drugs gangs according to its latest annual report.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald today published the report for 2014 which shows that almost €4m was handed over to the exchequer in 2014 and more than €6.5m suspected of being the proceeds of crime was frozen.

As well as properties, cars, cash and jewellery, the Bureau also seized for the first time the digital currency bitcoin from a drug dealer selling on the encrypted network Darknet.

During the three years since Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was shot dead in Co Louth, CAB has targeted the activities of dissident groups along the border, the six main travelling criminal gangs including that led by Andy Connors who was shot dead in Tallaght in 2014, and the main drugs gangs in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Sligo.

In its latest annual report for 2014, CAB returned €3.8m to the exchequer and obtained High Court freezing orders for another €6.7m suspected of being the proceeds of crime.

CAB pursued dissident republicans for Revenue offences because of their involvement in diesel laundering, cigarette smuggling and counterfeiting.

The Bureau seized over half a dozen properties which it said have since increased in value as well as cars and jewellery.

CAB also began selling goods on eBay, most notably Rolex watches and for the first time seized bitcoin from a convicted drug dealer.