A VEHICLE vehicle business was among the 14 premises raided by the Criminal Assets Bureau as it landed a major blow against a well-established drugs mob.
Investigators seized 23 cars and jeeps – including plush BMWs and Range Rovers – €400,000 in cash and frozen funds in the major operation around Dublin.
The probe was targeting a local organised crime gang who have been operating for over 20 years.
In more recent times, they have linked-up with an Albanian group of criminals with a propensity for violence who worked as enforcers for the gang and collected debts for them.
CAB officers suspect that the business is used for money laundering but also provides associates vehicles as part of the cocaine-pushing scheme.
But their operation is in tatters following today’s raids with garda headquarters saying it was a “significant development”.
A senior source told the Irish Sun: “It’s hard to see them come back from this. It has been a long-time coming.”
The huge CAB op today began with an early morning meeting after 5am before there were simultaneous dawn raids at 14 locations.
It involved 130 personnel from the Bureau, gardai in Dublin, the Emergency Response Unit, the Armed Support Unit, the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit and the Customs Dog Unit.
Along with the vehicles, cash and funds nabbed, a quantity of cannabis herb was discovered.
Electronic devices and assorted documentation were also taken away by officers.
CAB officers will now trawl through the evidence gathered with the aim of bringing the senior members of the gang before the High Court to seize the assets gained through drug money.
A garda spokesman said: “This group is involved in the trafficking of controlled drugs in the DMR West Division.
“CAB officers were assisted by Gardaí from DMR West, the Emergency Response Unit, the Armed Support Unit, the Stolen Motor Vehicle Investigation Unit and the Customs Dog Unit.
“Today’s operation involved 130 personnel carrying out searches at 14 different locations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
FUNDS FROZEN
“During the course of this operation 23 vehicles along with €400,000 in cash and frozen funds were seized.
“A quantity of suspected cannabis herb, electronic devices and assorted documentation were also seized.
“This operation marks a significant development in CAB’s ongoing proceeds of crime investigation.”
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