Gardaí seized €5m in drugs money

ALMOST €5 million in cash and assets was targeted and seized by the drugs squad using hard-hitting new legislation over the last year.

According to Garda Chief Superintendent Cormac Gordon, the Garda National Drugs Unit (GNDU) are confronting affluent dealers using the new laws.

“The increased demand for drugs means there is more money around,” explained the unit’s chief.

Under the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005, gardaí nationwide have seized cash connected with drugs.

Up to 12 raids in 2006 resulted in the seizure of cash in quantities from €10,000 to €400,000. A total of €1.25m was recovered by GNDU officers.

Separately, €400,000 was seized from a man served with a sentence for drug dealing last year. Another €500,000 was seized through a High Court action.

At least another €2m is being held by gardaí, but a court order must still be secured to retain the cash for three months while investigations continue.

Besides cash amounts, sections of the GNDU specialising in the finances of dealers managed to secure the seizure of at least one house, according to senior gardaí. Bank accounts were also frozen since the crucial legislation was put into action last year.

The amendments in 2005 allowed the proceeds of crime legislation to cover “foreign criminality and corrupt enrichment”.

The extension of powers have also helped the Criminal Assets Bureau in its activities.

Suspicious amounts of cash — over a €6,500 threshold — usually result in court applications to retain the money, while investigations in drugs related activities continue by the GNDU. Within 48 hours officers seek orders to freeze the cash for information purposes in a case.

After three months, the cash amounts can be held for further periods through circuit court applications, or passed to the state.

Meanwhile, heroin dealers took a hit in west Dublin yesterday after officers with the National Drugs Unit seized over €600,000 of drugs.

As part of an ongoing operation, a house in Croftwood Grove, Ballyfermot was searched on Monday evening and around three kilograms of the drug were discovered by gardaí.

Weighing scales were seized from the house in west-Dublin as well as a number of knives, while a 20-year-old man was taken into custody.