Gardaí raid family crime operation

Gardaí hope to break a major crime operation which includes drug-dealing and illegal moneylending following a search targeting homes and rented properties yesterday.

The early-morning raids focused on one extended family in Waterford City who are believed to be involved in lending money to vulnerable people and terrorising them to repay multiples of original loans.

The criminals are going to such lengths as retaining victims’ children’s allowance details and other social welfare books to ensure the money collected is handed over.

Up to 40 people arrested as part of the operation in Waterford over the last year are believed to have been pressurised into committing serious crime by members of the family at the centre of the network.

Gardaí now hope other individuals and families who have been targeted by the gang will come forward to give evidence.

Up to 120 gardaí from several divisions, including the Criminal Assets Bureau, were involved in the raids.

No arrests were made but the operation is ongoing, and the raids on up to 25 properties owned by the crime family, and believed to be brought with the proceeds of crime, is the latest phase.

Members of CAB seized a large amount of documents during the searches.

Gardaí have been in touch with number of agencies, such as credit unions and the Money Advice and Budgeting Service who help people targeted by illegal moneylenders.

“People are often slow to come forward,” one garda said. “Certainly we have documentation that would suggest it’s a pretty extensive [moneylending] network… It’s frightening the level of control they have over people.”