'Drink-smuggling' family's assets frozen

A family suspected of smuggling millions of pounds worth of alcohol into Northern Ireland from Europe has had its assets frozen, it was revealed today.

The Assets Recovery Agency (ARA) announced they had taken control of two houses in Armagh and Tyrone, the assets of a series of companies and the contents of 11 bank accounts.

The two homes have been initially estimated to be worth at least £300,000 (€434,300), and held in the names of brothers Gerard and Terence Fearghal Keenan and their wives Claire and Michelle Keenan.

The ARA said it had successfully started an action against individuals and companies involved in “alleged excise offences relating to the importation of alcohol into the UK and Ireland”.

They said the agency had yesterday searched a series of residential and commercial premises in Keady, Co Armagh, and Dungannon, Co Tyrone, using search and seizure warrants issued by the High Court in Belfast.

Immediately after the searches an Interim Receiver, appointed to act on behalf of the High Court, took control of the assets.

They included:

:: a house in Keady.

:: a house in Dungannon.

:: the assets of a series of companies know as The Kilcluney group - comprising Kilcluney Beverages Ltd, Corrina Confectionery Ltd and Moldova Wines Ltd [trading as North East Beverages].

:: the assets of 11 bank accounts .

:: two company vans.

The ARA said the assets were held in the names of various individuals including the four Keenans.

It said it was part of its case to the High Court that the main principle in managing the businesses was Gerard Keenan, but that his brother was a director of some of the companies and that he “over a period of around two years, processed over £4m (€5.8m) of company funds thorough personal bank accounts.”

It said in the case of the two women it was the agency’s case that they were either officers of some of the companies or were holders or joint-holders of back accounts through which some assets passed.

The agency said it alleged that “these companies were vehicles for a significant operation smuggling alcohol from Europe into the UK and Ireland and evading excise duty within Northern Ireland”.

Alan McQuillan, Assistant Director of the ARA, said: “We believe that this was a very substantial and sophisticated alcohol-smuggling operation.

“In some cases we have alleged that alcohol was smuggled from Europe into the UK and in other cases duty was evaded by falsely declaring that alcohol had been exported from the UK.

“The Agency’s action has disrupted this network.”

It was the latest in a series of actions by the ARA in a crackdown against alleged organised and paramilitary crime gangs.

On Monday the ARA froze assets of around £500,000 (€723,800) – a house and equestrian centre near Coleraine, Co Derry – belonging to a suspected drug dealer.

Last month it auctioned a Co Down house which had belonged to a murdered loyalist paramilitary chief who is believed to have built up his empire through drug dealing.

The auction raised £410,000 (€593,500).

In an unconnected case police in Lurgan, Co Armagh, arrested a 37-year-old man in relation to alleged milk quota fraud in excess of £1m (€1.4m).