More than €24m seized by garda organised crime unit since 2015
More than €11m has additionally been forfeited to the State after court proceedings by the GNDOCB concluded during this span of time.
More than €24m in cash has been seized by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB) since it was first set up in 2015.
This follows a seizure of €488,000 during an operation at the Port Tunnel Plaza in Dublin in recent days by the bureau, bringing the overall total to €24,300,241.
More than €11m has additionally been forfeited to the State after court proceedings by the GNDOCB concluded during this span of time.
During 2021, €5,639310 was seized, while more than €8m was surrendered following court proceedings. There were 16 people convicted throughout the year in relation to alleged breaches of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act, 2010.
More than £38,500 and $ 3,700 were also seized throughout the year, totalling £264,326 and $3,721 since March 9, 2015.
The GNDOCB says this represents an "exceptional level of success".
Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll, organised and serious crime, said the role of the GNDOCB is to deplete the finances of organised criminal groups with the objective to dismantle them entirely.
"In this regard, significant success has been achieved in recent times, in the course of operations and investigations undertaken by the GNDOCB," he said.
"The targeting of relevant assets, in the first instance, followed by the locating and seizing of those assets and, later, by the charging and prosecuting of suspects, through use of money laundering and organised crime-related legislative provisions, has been a key component of the organised crime-related strategy adopted by An Garda Síochána and the GNDOCB, in particular”.
A 46-year-old man was sentenced to eight years at Tralee Circuit Court, with the final 12 months suspended, arising from the seizure of almost €3.7 million on September 30, 2020, in counties Kerry and Laois.
A 40-year-old man was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found in possession of more than €350,000 on May 11, 2020.
Seized following the search of a vehicle in Ballybritta, Co Laoise.
Seized following the searches of two vehicles and a hotel bedroom in Dublin 1 and 5.
Seized following searches undertaken in Co. Monaghan and Co. Louth. Two people were arrested and charged.
Seized following the search of a premises in Dublin 10 and 11. Three people were arrested and charged.
Seized after a search was undertaken in Dublin. One person was arrested and charged.
Seized during a search in Dublin. One person was arrested and charged.
Seized during a stop and search of a van and related premises. Two people were arrested and charged.
Seized during a stop and search of a van and a follow-up search of two premises.
Seized during a stop and search of a car. Two people were arrested and one was charged.
Seized during a stop and search of a car. Two people were arrested, and one person charged.
Seized during the search of a vehicle and a hotel bedroom in Dublin. One person was arrested and charged.
Seized during a stop and search of a car. Three people were arrested.
Seized during a vehicle stop on the M1. One person was arrested and charged
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