THE legal officer of the Criminal Assets Bureau, Mr Barry Galvin, was yesterday in the High Court appointed receiver of a Dublin property allegedly owned by Mr Thomas Mullen, who is on remand in Britain on a charge of conspiring to supply heroin.
The court was told CAB alleged that Mr Mullen (26), who has a number of previous convictions, including larceny and handling and receiving stolen property, was involved in supplying heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in Dublin.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Costello, appointed Mr Galvin receiver of the property at St David's, Artane. His order restrains Mr Mullen, his father, Mr John Mullen, or any person from disposing of the property.
Counsel for CAB said that the bureau believed Mr Thomas Mullen was the owner of the property. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act, the receiver appointed by the court had the right to take possession of the property and sell it.
A Garda official, in an affidavit, said that while the property was registered in the name of Mr John Mullen he believed it was being held beneficially for Mr Thomas Mullen.
The Garda official alleged that Mr Thomas Mullen was involved in the supply of heroin, ecstasy and cocaine in the Dublin area.
He said that the property at St David's had been purchased in September 1994 for £84,950. The monies used to purchase the property had come through an account in the name of Mr John Mullen.
Although Mr Thomas Mullen appeared to have no lawful source of income, he maintained a lavish lifestyle and appeared to have access to very large sums of money.
CAB officials had investigated the earnings history of Mr John Mullen (63) and had not been able to locate any taxable earnings for him since September 1979.
The bureau found that Mr John Mullen had been in receipt of Social Welfare Disability Benefit from September 1979 to January 1984, totalling £14,725. He was in receipt of similar allowances from January 1988 to November 1994, totalling £10,131, and since April 1994 he was in receipt of an invalidity pension of £66.20 a week.
He believed it was highly probable that the monies used for the purchase of the property came from Mr Thomas Mullen.