Man freed over €1.2m cash find

A man found digging up a huge stash of drugs money in a field in Co Limerick was released without charge yesterday. A file is being prepared for the DPP.

Gardaí believe there was about €1.2m in the stash in an isolated field at Portcrusha, Castleconnell.

The money was still being counted note by note last night, as some of it was weather-damaged.

The 53-year-old man from Ballynanty arrested under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (drug trafficking) Act 1996 at the scene was released without charge yesterday afternoon.

Chief Supt Dave Sheahan, head of the Limerick Garda Division, said: “The final figure has not yet been determined as the money is still being counted. This is a significant blow to serious crime in Limerick.”

Gardaí suspect the man found digging up the money is part of a major drugs gang in the city.

When members of the Limerick divisional drugs squad swooped on the field at around 2.30pm on Saturday afternoon, they found one man working a digger which had a hydraulic arm and bucket. On searching plastic wrapping which had been dug up, detectives found cash, mostly in €5, €10, €20, and €50 notes.

More was found in a metal container used as a hut. The cash was in a tumble drier which was being used to clean and dry the notes. While the money was protected in plastic wrapping, some bundles of cash were wet and covered in mud

Chief Supt Sheahan said, depending on how the investigation progresses, he expects further arrests.

A second man, aged 43, who was arrested near the scene of the cash find, was released without charge.