Vehicles and €4m of drugs seized in separate operations

Some 46 high-value vehicles have been confiscated and €4m worth of drugs seized in separate operations targeting sophisticated organised crime networks.

In the first operation, the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) and the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau conducted 20 searches targeting a west Dublin crime gang involved in money laundering and drug trafficking.

As well as 46 top-end cars, including BMWs and Audis, Cab seized up to €60,000 in cash and valuable jewellery.

In a second operation, Revenue uncovered a massive drug importation centre, containing 60kg of cannabis herb, 33kg of cocaine, 2.2kg of MDMA (ecstasy), and 72,000 ecstasy tablets with an estimated value of €4m.

In an operation that went on for much of yesterday, Cab officers, backed up by armed detectives from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, targeted 20 commercial premises connected with the motor trade and private dwellings.

A prominent car showroom in Dublin’s north inner city and garages and lock-ups across west Dublin were searched. In some cases, the luxury cars were being stored in sheds. Sources said that the gang, headed by a 30-year-old convicted drug dealer from Clondalkin, was connected to the Kinahan crime cartel.

Solicitor and accountancy offices were also searched yesterday. A large amount of documentation and financial records were removed.

Customs officers attached to Cab are examining suspected VRT and Vat fraud and the transportation method used by the gang.

The leader of the gang has served a sentence for drugs supply after being caught with a significant amount of crack cocaine.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, routine profiling by the Revenue’s National Profiling Centre, targeting drug importation, examined a vehicle-importing plant machinery.

When a further investigation was conducted by Customs officers in the Border-Midlands-West region they uncovered a massive drug importation and distribution centre.

Revenue estimated that the street value is more than €4m.

It is one of the biggest hauls of cocaine in recent years and compares to 109kg of cocaine for all of 2015.