Crime kingpin shared multimillion-euro council payout

The leader of an organised crime gang targeted by an 80-strong Garda team led by the Criminal Assets Bureau (Cab) shared a multimillion-euro State payout relating to a land dispute.

The Irish Times understands a leading member of the robbery and drugs gang, targeted in searches on Monday, was one of a number of people paid to leave a State-owned property.

They had been living there for many years and claimed they effectively had a legal claim to the property.

The matter was eventually resolved with the payment of a multimillion-euro settlement by a local authority to the group. And now one of those men is at the centre of a major Cab inquiry.

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Because he received such a large sum of money from a local authority, the bureau must now determine what portion of his wealth is legitimate and which represents the proceeds of his crimes.

Rural robberies 

And gardaí believe the suspect, who is in his 40s, is at the apex of a crime syndicate involved in organised rural robberies, as well as drug dealing and money laundering.

He is currently in prison in connection with his alleged role in a national-scale money laundering and cash smuggling operation foiled by gardaí.

However, while he is in jail, his gang has continued to steal cars for the spare parts market and deal drugs.

They have also been behind a series of robberies in which farm and industrial vehicles have been stolen, along with power tools.

Gardaí believe the stolen vehicles and machinery have been taken out of the country for sale, or sold in markets in the Republic.

Seized

On Monday, at two sites in Co Meath linked to the chief suspect, gardaí searched houses and outhouses. They seized seven vehicles, cash, jewellery and drugs.

Documentation was also taken from accountants’ and selectors’ offices used by the chief suspect. And gardaí are hopeful those records will reveal uncover secret investments and money transfers.

The chief suspect is a close associate of a family-based drugs gang in the Leinster area. Gardaí believe it is a very significant supplier of illicit drugs in Dublin.

Other associates include two prolific armed robbers from west Dublin who were behind some of the biggest cash-in-transit van robberies and so-called tiger kidnappings during the Celtic Tiger era.